The Adventures of Jenn, Ben & Fen

I Could Never Have Imagined . . .

2012-01-11T19:19:00.004-06:00

I could never have imagined what was to come,
But if I’d have known I probably would have run.
Hard times have been harder, lessons learned deeper,
And that has made the good times that much sweeter!

God’s drawn me close each that time I’ve cried,
Even as I question Him, He’s there by my side.
Sometimes angry and such a hurting mess,
But seeing His hand and knowing I am blessed.

His timing and His plan is above all things,
Deserving is He whose praises I sing.
Despite a unexpected end to the story,
He is still good and He gets all the glory!

In My Arms

2012-01-03T10:52:00.006-06:00

In all my seeking God I continually come back to what a miracle and blessing Jake is . . .

When I start to wonder why God's plan included burying another child . . . I come back to the fact that I could have none and not have Jake. And when my mind runs to why God didn't give us another boy (if that is the cause behind losing Katelynn and Karleigh) . . . I come back to the fact that I could have had Katelynn and Karleigh back to back and then have nothing, not even Jake.

God is good to have blessed us with Jake . . . and to have given us a little guy that is so often hilarious but also has such a sweet awareness too.

Last night he was listening to music on his ipod and wanted to listen over and over to Plumb's In My Arms. The words struck me as they are so true of how I feel about him now.

Your baby blues, so full of wonder
Your curly cues, your contagious smile
And as I watch, you start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight

Knowing clouds will rage
And storms will race in but you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down, waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

In all of this that I don't understand about God's plan I want to hold Jake tighter . . . in part because it causes me to grasp so much more what a gift he is but also like the song says to hold him and shield him from all that we have endured recently. As he has gained an awareness most three-year-olds thankfully don't have about siblings lost and Heaven and who is there in Heaven and how we will get there, I hold him tight thankful for his sweet spirit but wishing I could remove him from all of this.

. . . all I can do is hold you tight!

God Still Gets the Glory

2011-12-30T14:34:00.006-06:00

So many thoughts run through my head on a daily basis . . . about Katelynn and Karleigh and the life God has planned out for us. I struggle with trying to soak it all in and make sure I realize all that God has for me in these circumstances. So I find myself at a point of seeking Him like never before! Not so much from my pain, but this time as a result from seeing Him work in such a way only He can.

The details of the days around Katelynn's death are so spectacular that only God could have arranged them . . . and the circumstances around Karleigh's delivery are no different. It's strange I know but I feel so fortunate to have seen God's hand work so marvelously in my life not once but twice . . . and that's not to say He's not guiding my path everyday or that I'm oblivious to the "smaller" workings in my life orchestrated by Him. It's just so hard to put into words how obvious it is that God's hand has held us so tightly as both of our girls were born. The the timing of each circumstance and the people He put in our life that were by our side each time are by no means an accident. In fact other people looking in have commented repeatedly how strange it is for God to have put multiple people in our lives that have endured similar difficulty and loss . . . but it is not strange to me at all - IT'S GOD!

And though in the last several weeks I have questioned God's plan, it's still His plan and He still is glorified in it. Me in my human nature wanted to believe that because we amazingly got pregnant by surprise with out fertility drugs and years of trying that this baby would be a way for us to tell others about that miracle and glorify Him. Even more I wanted to believe that finding out we were pregnant with Karleigh the day before Katelynn's 5th birthday was going to also be a story we would tell others to bring Him glory for giving us such a sweet gift after losing Katelynn. BUT, and don't miss this point, in spite of a different end to the story He still gets all the glory!! God's hand touched every detail from the big things to the little things, and God is still glorified in Karleigh's little life.

He has us held tightly in His grip . . . and He will be glorified in it all!!

Thirst This World Can't Satisfy

2011-12-26T20:38:00.007-06:00

Music speaks to me and sticks with me more than anything else!! And Laura Story's "Blessings" hits me right where I'm at, but this week there are a couple lines that are most poignant . . .

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this

world can’t satisfy

My longing for Heaven intensified with Katelynn and even more with Karleigh and also from other difficult circumstances in our life too . . . but I pray that this thirst for God and His will would not wane and that my focus would forever be on Heaven!

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are

Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are

Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Where I Belong . . .

2011-12-13T17:36:00.006-06:00

I love Building 429's "Where I Belong"! The week before Karleigh was born I had it on repeat and listened to it at least a dozen times . . . little did I know how it would hit home this week.

But this week when I heard it a different part of the song stuck out to me . . .
"I will keep searching for answers that aren't here to find"

Wow that is so true! There are questions that run through my mind that I may never know the answers to this side of Heaven and won't matter once we get to Heaven.

In spite of those questions God sustains me! When I question "Why again?", "Why couldn't we have had a boy this time (if that is the key)?" . . . my mind immediately runs to the fact that we could have had this happen last time and not have Jake. OH how thankful I am for that little guy and all of this makes my heart burst with love for him even more!!

Jake has such a sweet childlike faith in all of this and reminds me, "Mama, when we get to Heaven you can hold Karleigh . . . "

SO -
All I know is I"m not home yet,
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

When Life Takes a Turn . . . God's Still There

2011-12-10T17:53:00.008-06:00

Less than one week ago all was well. We went to the Christmas parade on Saturday and the church Christmas program on Sunday. The nursery was ready and all the clothes were washed and put away and her name on the wall. But today we stand in a completely different place. The cries of a baby won't be coming just after Christmas . . . Jake won't be a big brother soon . . .

But God is still God and He is still good and we rest in that!

Knowing that the life inside of you was no longer living is such a hard concept to grasp. To know just days earlier she was moving and her heart was beating but then life took a turn . . .
But God was with us in all of that.

As hard as all of this has been there has been SO much good and all of those circumstances orchestrated by God's hand.

Because God is so good!

I prayed all through my pregnancy that circumstances would not take us to Vanderbilt and cause us to be away from Jake . . . and that Jake would not have to see or hold a sister that we knew would die all too soon. God heard my prayer!

On the way to the hospital Tuesday I prayed that God would hold me together because at that point I knew what I was walking into but was simply in denial about the truth. And my dear friend from small group came just minutes after they confirmed Karleigh had died . . .

Having my doctor come within minutes and cry with us and hold us and stay from beginning to end . . . knowing next week or anytime after she would not have been able to do that . . .

With friends coming through our door and staying into the late hours of the night defying all the rules about the visitor limits . . .

Having a friend from our small group be our nurse through the night . . . and be the one to take care of Karleigh after being born and honor my requests to cast Karleigh's hands and feet . . .

Coming home to the greatest little guy ever that keeps us going and keeps us laughing . . . and continually is comforting me, "Mama, don't cry we will see her in heaven and I will hold Katelynn so you can hold Karleigh first" . . .

IN IT ALL . . . GOD HAS BEEN SO GOOD!!!

"Florida is not 'Bacation'"

2011-09-19T19:36:00.005-05:00

We finally got away this year on a vacation and had an absolutely amazing time. It was Jake's first trip to the beach which was so fun . . . and in some ways funny. Prior to leaving on vacation people would ask Jake where we were going and if we were going to Florida, and he would say, "No we are going on bacation not Florida" . . . for him 'bacation' was a city or a building and not trip or time frame. Now I think he understands vacation and Florida, and he also has a whole new set of knowledge about the beach and fish and seashells and crabs and sand . . . and so much more.

Within minutes of arriving there Jake was all relaxed out on the
patio watching the ocean . . . he was READY!!!

At first Jake was unsure of the water but he came around after a couple of days.

"Build _____" seemed to always be coming from his mouth. He had lofty ideas about what we could make in the sand wanting a Lightening McQueen, Mater, Bob the Builder and on and on.

Ben tried repeatedly to explain to Jake to brace for the waves so they wouldn't knock him over . . . and Jake in a way only Jake can did it with style.

Catching crabs was our nightly activity the last several nights, and no matter how many we caught or saw every single crab was named "Fred". The first night was quite successful, but unfortunately all our crabs died- one by suicide (jumping off our balcony) and the others in the cage during the night. The second night we got a little better at it and caught larger crabs which seem to be able to handle cage living a little better . . . even Jake caught one of the big ones that night. Finally, the third night we released the crabs from the previous night (because we were not going to bring them back home) and caught and released a few more. All in all this had to be one of the most fun things we did while we were there . . . to listen to Jake sing "Twinkle Star" all along the beach while looking for crabs and watching him jump with excitement and run in circles catching them was completely priceless.

Our last night at the beach we decided to take some of our food from the condo and feed the birds so we wouldn't have to pack it to bring it home. The birds were crazy, coming in large numbers and catching the food in mid-air, but that made it all the more fun as Jake laughed and talked and looked on in amazement.

Oh the fun times we had and the memories we made!!!!

Baseball Hats or Hair Bows!

2011-09-01T13:37:00.003-05:00

It looks like it's hair bows for us this time instead of baseball hats, bats and balls . . . though I'm sure in our sports infested house this little girl will know all about football, baseketball and baseball and learn all about dirt and cars and all kinds of other stuff from her big brother. I had wondered for weeks if this one was a girl because this pregnancy was so different . . . and sure enough it is a girl. Jake has wanted a girl for weeks now but suddenly changed to wanting a "bruder" the week of of the ultrasound . . . he argued with the ultrasound tech at first but he's warming up to the idea now.

There's lots of time left and we're leaving it in God's hands even though it's hard sometimes . . . he knows all the details and even the hairs on "K"s little head. Praying he covers us (I need it most) in his peace in the remaining weeks.

The Countdown Begins . . .

2011-08-02T08:42:00.003-05:00

Knowing Jake would want the baby to come out immediately . . . I thought I would make a paper chain to help him conceptualize how long it would be until the baby arrived. So every night we tear off one link in the chain, getting one day closer to the baby's arrival.

He gets so excited about it each night . . . and most nights asks to rip off two or three (if only it were that easy). In spite of my efforts though he still tells me often that he will give "her" a hug tomorrow when she comes out of my belly . . . but maybe it will sink in soon!

187 Days to go . . .

AMAZED . . . God is so Good!

2011-07-29T21:16:00.006-05:00

Even when our faith is weak or doubts arise . . . God is still so faithful and limitless.

This little miracle that is coming soon is such a reminder of that. After all the struggles in the past this little miracle was quite a surprise and so refreshing to see God act in this way. Even more to find out the day before what would have been Katelynn's 5th birthday made it that much more of a blessing!

Jake is beyond excited and has actually been telling lots of people about the baby for several weeks . . . despite the fact that we hadn't officially told him yet . . . he's just too smart for his own good! He is quite adamant that it is a girl . . . and I'm afraid he might be heart broken if it's not. Even now he kisses "her" good bye and gives "her" high fives . . . and even occasionally spanks "her" for some crazy thing or another . . . most of the time he so sweet and adorable when talking about "her" though.

We rest in God and his plan for this child . . . praying his protection for the rest of the time and for a healthy baby this winter!

It Seems Like 0 to 3 in 60 seconds!!

2011-07-03T16:18:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure how my baby got to be 3, but yesterday was the day! From breakfast at Dunkin Donuts to a party with friends, complete with bounce house, car race and pinata . . . to ending the day watching fireworks while swimming in the pool with family! It was an outstanding day.

Happy Birthday little guy . . .

"Better than a rollbar in a demolition derby!"

2011-06-25T15:14:00.006-05:00

With Jake's love of the movie Cars, we watch it every single day, it was only fitting that we went to see Cars 2 last night. So we packed up the car with dinner and snacks and chairs and toys and jammies and headed to the drive-in. We met great friends there and ate dinner and played and then just before the movie we broke out the jammies and then watched Cars 2. We had a great time . . . and it was a great way to start Jake's birthday week!

"Is it his 'birfday?"

2011-06-20T07:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was all about daddy! And though Jake loved coloring the card and being "good" for daddy and going to the park and on and on . . . he didn't exactly get the gist of Father's Day. In fact on several occasions yesterday when we were rushing around to get the "stuff" for daddy's special lunch and coloring the card, Jake asked, "Is it his birfday?" All in all he got that it was special and loved his daddy like he does every single day but with just a little more gusto!

Creeks, Critters and Cousins

2011-05-29T21:13:00.003-05:00

Today we went to the creek near my grandparent's house and enjoyed time with cousins! We even caught two crawdads and a tadpole . . . but Jake liked throwing rocks and water the best . . .

"Mama" Day

2011-05-08T21:07:00.007-05:00

We had an outstanding Mother's Day packed with worship, lunch at Outback, a long nap, planting flowers (my Mother's Day tradition), feeding the ducks, going for a walk, and finishing up with ice cream with our best friends. It doesn't get any better . . . and my boys made it a wonderful day!!

Easter Eggs . . . or Insanity

2011-04-21T20:55:00.004-05:00

We endeavored into the dying of Easter eggs tonight for the first time. In the course of 30 minutes I uttered words I never imagined I would! The top three are . . .

"That egg is not a basketball and this is not a sport!"

"No, you can not drink the egg dye!"

"How did you get egg dye up there?!?"

An "Egg"cellent Day

2011-04-17T16:56:00.010-05:00

Right now as Jake is riding his tricycle around the house he is whispering over and over "best day ever" . . . so needless to say he had a great time today at the egg hunts. The first egg hunt was great with fewer people and lots of eggs though it was hampered by a little mishap with melted chocolate . . . but still Jake managed to fill his basket and get lots of candy.

The second egg hunt had many more eggs and many more people but Jake ran right into the middle and laid his claim on plenty of eggs!

Both egg hunts had Easter bunnies . . . and though I never would have imagined it Jake was quite fond of them. By the second Easter bunny Jake was giving hugs and high fives and have some deep conversations . . .

Hockey and "Skettis"

2011-04-02T19:36:00.005-05:00

Today was a great day! We went to the Predators game, which was a first for Jake . . . and then indulged in some spaghetti at the Spaghetti Factory.

Jake was quite taken with all the action, especially when they got in trouble and had to go to time out . . . and he really liked Gnash too! But most of all he was there for the popcorn and Car snacks and raisins and M&Ms . . .

And best of all at the Spaghetti Factory we got to sit by the train car . . . so Jake couldn't wait to go up in it after dinner.

Most importantly GO CATS!!!

Zing Zang Zoom

2011-03-26T21:52:00.002-05:00

Lions and tigers and elephants, oh my! Today we took on the circus . . . and enjoyed all the fun with some of our friends. It was fun to watch Jake get excited about each thing, turning and jumping and talking non-stop . . . but his favorite was the elephants and tigers!

Roar!!!!

The Best Part . . .

2011-03-12T17:42:00.009-06:00

. . . about a new dishwasher is THE BOX!!

While Ben was installing the dishwasher, Jake and I were really busy!!

We had to cut windows and doors . . .

. . . and then we colored the outside and made some signs . . .

. . . and then he colored the inside . . .

. . . and then he had to rest inside in his chair and have some water!

Snow Castles

2011-02-11T19:38:00.004-06:00

Jake and I spent the afternoon playing in the sun and snow. It might not have been sun and sand BUT we still had castles . . . we made snow castles!

. . . and made some snow angels . . .

. . . and gave "Crosty" a tail!

(Did you know Frosty had a tail?!?)

Will You Be Mine?

2011-02-11T19:23:00.006-06:00

Sugar + 13 Two Year Olds = Sweet Memories

Today was Jake's Valentines party at school which included sugar, smiles and some sweet memories. It's always fun to see Jake interact with his friends . . . and today it was about the girls . . . but it was a Valentine's party.

Good food . . .

. . . good friends . . .

. . . and the loot!

Dear God, Please snow, Amen!!!

2011-02-07T20:48:00.004-06:00

Daily it seems Jake wakes up and asks, "Go sledding?!?" . . . and he prays everyday for God to let the snow out of the sky. Today Jake's prayers were answered . . . so what's that mean at the Sweeney house . . .

Sledding, Snowballs and Snowmen!!!!

Are You Ready for some Football?

2011-02-06T17:28:00.003-06:00

We are! But if you ask Jake who is going to win the football game he says, "Go Cats!"

He's been excited about watching football all week letting us know he was going to put his jersey and pads and helmet on and throw the ball down the field.

We've got a #7 here at our house . . . but it's not Roethlisberger . . . he's Wildcats all the way!

Jake's Christmas Wish . . . Snow Much Fun!

2011-01-01T11:18:00.006-06:00

Jake prayed for snow the whole week leading up to Christmas. He would pray for it every other sentence in our bedtime prayers and then would pray at random times each day, "Dear God, Where snow at?, Please. Amen." No less than 100 times the week before Christmas Jake would ask Ben and I, "Where snow at?" or "Go play snow!"

What a sweet Christmas wish it was to have it begin snowing Christmas eve . . . and have a great snow to sled on Christmas Day . . . probably the best present of all!!

And Christmas evening brought our own "Crosty" the snowman and some snowball fights!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-01-01T11:01:00.004-06:00

Just before Christmas we made cupcakes for baby Jesus birthday complete with sprinkles and candles. Jake helped with every step . . . the papers, the mixing, the icing and sprinkles. And when they were all done we sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus several times and even had a cupcake complete with a lit candle!

Christmas Everywhere!

2011-01-01T10:34:00.003-06:00

Christmas morning brought lots of smiles and lots of presents. Jake is such a pro at opening presents and he even helped everyone else open theirs. The morning yielded lots of trains, a tool bench, a laptop among other things . . . and mommy got a great plate made by Jake.

What sweet Christmas memories!!

Waiting for Santa . . .

2011-01-01T10:08:00.003-06:00

This year we started the tradition of feeding the reindeer on Christmas Eve. Jake made some magic reindeer food at school and we waited until bedtime on Christmas Eve to put it out, and making it better was the snow. Jake had prayed for snow all week leading up to Christmas . . . at night and at random times during the day . . . "Dear God, Where snow at?, Please. Amen." . . . so the fact that it started snowing on Christmas Eve made it all the better!

After placing the food in the yard I asked him who was coming with the reindeer and he said, "Cat, Cats". That answer made this mama smile, so I told him that we'd put out extra cookies on Christmas Eve in case Calapari and Cobb and Joker and Jones came on the sleigh with Santa . . .

Merry Christmas from the Sweeney's

2010-12-24T13:42:00.002-06:00

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The Shepherds and the Angels. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:4-20

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

and may Christ be at the center of everything this season!!

Seeing Santa . . .

2010-12-20T18:28:00.004-06:00

Though Jake was initially convinced when I told him we were going to Santa that we were going to Holiday World . . . he eventually came around to the idea that Santa is at the mall right now just visiting and will return to Holiday World in the spring.

So we waited in line . . . and Jake tried to walk off even attached to his stroller . . .But eventually we made it to Santa where Jake told him he wanted "only choo choos" . . .

"Avent" . . . "Nutivi" . . . and "Baby Jesus Birthday"

2010-12-11T11:33:00.003-06:00

This year right after Thanksgiving we started Advent with Jake every night before bed. He gets so excited to open the little door on our advent calendar and read the scripture. Also each night during Advent we get out the Little People Nativity and talk about all the people, which often results in a strange combination of people in the barn and baby Jesus on top where the angel goes . . . but all in all he's learning.

This week I told him while doing Advent that we were going to go see real, live Advent and see a real nativity, or in Jake terms "nutivi" . . . of course at that point he didn't know what I was meaning but kept continual asking about going to "see Avent". So this week we went to the Walk through Bethlehem at a local church, and it was so sweet to watch how he took it all in this year. We went in all the shops and touched the wood working tools and touched the donkeys . . . but his favorite part was the angels. He was a little miffed that they wouldn't fly for him, but went back several times to continually watch them sing. At the end we saw "baby Jesus birthday" and Jake made himself at home . . . .

. . . making sweet memories!!!

(So thankful for Grace Baptist Church that they do the Walk Through Bethlehem each year!!)

A Year Later . . .

2010-12-05T17:59:00.005-06:00

Santa was disastrous last year . . . . . . it looked like this!!

But this week we did a trial run at the mall with the same Santa . . . . . . and it went so much better!

Maybe it was all the times seeing Santa at Holiday World this summer . . . or the cool little, wooden trains he had that Jake was so interested in . . . but things are different this year.

"Cat Cats" Christmas

2010-11-07T20:20:00.003-06:00

Our "Cat Cats" Christmas is here!!!

Jake specifically requested a "Cat Cats" tree weeks ago . . . and who could resist!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-31T19:59:00.006-05:00

Since we typcially go to Trunk or Treat, tonight was a first as we trick or treated in the neighborhood . . . so Jake went house to house saying, "Tri Tree" and "Dank You" . . . all the while collecting all kinds of candy. He loved it! He could hardly wait to jump out of the wagon at each house . . . and got lots of comments on our cute little football player!

Go Big Ga-lue!

2010-10-29T17:42:00.003-05:00

It has begun . . . my little Wildcat is here . . . he's been looking forward to wearing his "Tat Tats" helmet for weeks!

And he enjoyed his party at school today . . .

fALL fUN

2010-10-24T13:42:00.005-05:00

Fall at our house includes . . .

. . . "Pukins" . . .

. . . and Best Friends . . .

Thum Ere Wully

2010-10-13T22:17:00.002-05:00

Fall Essentials . . . Jackson's Orchard, Apples and Pumpkins

2010-10-02T19:56:00.018-05:00

Last weekend we took on Jackson's Orchard . . . Cider Slides, farm animals, pumpkin patch, apple pies and all. Jake was all about the slides this year and did them by himself many times . . . and then there was the time he and I went together and nearly face planted due to our crazy, fast speed. Jake loved the animals too, so much so that he decided he should kiss the goats . . . but it went better than last year since Jake didn't pick up any large handfuls of cow poop. The pumpkin patch was a different experience this year as he was more sure of himself and running through the patch rather than walking leisurely and taking it all in . . . but one thing was the same in that he wanted a BIG pumpkin

Happy Fall Yall!

You've Got a Friend in Me

2010-09-28T19:40:00.003-05:00

Their friendship is growing by the day . . . the "sibling" rivalry continues but there are more sweet moments. Jake has quickly figured out that Wally wants any food that he has . . . sometimes that makes Jake mad and other times Jake uses this to his advantage in order to not have to eat certain items. They have begun to run and chase and play lots of tug-o-war . . . it's often humorous and better than any entertainment around. They will be long time friends . . .

"Tat Tats" and Our Little Wildcat

2010-09-12T15:32:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was all about the CATS and we had soooo much fun! Jake's first visit to Commonwealth Stadium to see the CATS was at times more than he could take in. Even before we could get parked, just seeing all the vehicles with UK flags and magnets and all the people walking wearing their UK blue, Jake was continually excited about all the "Tat Tats" . . . and while we were parking and walking through the tailgating he was constantly pointing it all out to me, "Tat Tats, Mama", "See Tat Tats", "More Tat Tats". He kept saying his CATS cheer rendition as we walked through Commonwealth . . . "E-A-E-S, Tats, Tats, Tats" . . . and at times had an almost glassy look as he absorbed it all.

AND the game . . . we couldn't have asked for a better game! The weather was great, the people around us were great, high fiving and fist bumping Jake with each UK touchdown, and Jake had an awesome time. He's still talking about "kicking the ball" and "touchdown fireworks" and "Wildcat and Elmo"! And throughout the game he expanded his CATS vocabulary . . . including "Go Big Glue", "Touchdown Tucky", and "First Down Tucky" . . . all telling us we have a Tats Football fan in the making . . . SMILE!

My Wally Puppy

2010-09-09T20:36:00.003-05:00

Jake is all about his "Wally Puppy"!!! His first words this morning were, "Where is my Wally Puppy?" . . . and as we were driving to school he asked, "Where Wally go?" . . . and over and over all evening we here, "Thum on, Wally". They will be forever friends . . . but I can't get either one of them to be still together long enough to get a picture . . .

A Little More Wally

2010-09-06T21:56:00.003-05:00

Wally Puppy

2010-09-06T20:57:00.006-05:00

Wally has finally arrived and Jake won't stop talking about "my Wally puppy". Jake is totally concerned with where Wally is and what he's doing and he's been concerned every time that Wally gets near his train track . . . but the fun has just begun.

Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY!

2010-09-06T20:42:00.004-05:00

We took off this weekend to Ohio to visit with some family and took in the Cincinnati zoo while we were there. Jake was amazed and chattering the whole time about the "haibows" (hippos), "mingos" (flamingos), "chomp, chomps" (alligators and crocodiles), "efants" (elephants) and so much more. It was so different from our Labor Day weekend trip to the zoo last year . . .

Holiday World Hurts

2010-08-15T17:50:00.004-05:00

So we made one of our last hoorahs to Holiday World for this summer . . . and I'm going to be sad for that part of the summer to go because we've made so many good memories there this year. Yesterday we made our way there and had a GREAT day . . . but left with a few "boo boos".

Because of the heat we started with Splashin Safari and enjoyed the slides and wave pool as per usual. We accidentally forgot Jake's life jacket, but Jake did awesome in the wave pool letting go some and wanting to "fwim" (with assistance) almost the whole time. And the water slides were great . . . but super fast yesterday, resulting in my scraped knee as Jake and I came flying off the end . . . though he thought it was funny and is still concerned about my "boo boo from the water".

We did our usual ride on the salmon and Freedom Train . . . but yesterday we took on the "kiddie" coaster too. I was excited to see how he would do and to find out if he will one day be my roller coaster buddy . . . and I think he will! The first trip around he wasn't quite sure but after the second time he kept saying, "more again". We rode it several times, and it was faster and more abusive than I imagined it would be. Unfortunately on the last go round Jake busted his lip on the safety bar coming into the final stop . . . but still wanted "more".

At the end we had our standard ice cream treat and got to see Santa too!!

Operation Big Boy . . .

2010-08-09T07:22:00.002-05:00

. . . was quite a success this weekend. For 5-6 hours each day while we were home this weekend we gave the big boy underwear a try . . . and with only one mess in that time frame I'd consider it a success. The amount of M&Ms consumed remains unknown and the effects of said M&Ms were felt at bedtime . . . but we are on our way to being "big boy."Every 20 minutes the timer would ding and Jake would say, "Hear it . . . Dinga . . . Go Potty". Sportin' some Buzz Lightyear and "Tat Tats" football . . . oh yeah!

To Hab an To Houd

2010-07-31T09:41:00.002-05:00

Meet Mr. Independent . . . he wants to do everything we do and do it all by himself. The most common phrases around our house are, "I do it", "I hab it", "I houd it" or "I hep you" . . . and this week that included peaches!

Holiday World Get Away

2010-07-17T21:04:00.003-05:00

It's been a little crazy and sad here in the last week, so we thought what better way to end the week on a good note but to go to Holiday World to get away from everything. So off we went . . . and in typical Holiday World fashion we rode the train as we always do!!

I Love You Choo Choo!

"I Two"

2010-07-04T19:52:00.010-05:00

The birthday week all led up to our fun Toy Story party yesterday. We enjoyed friends and family . . . and lots of Toy Story fun. It's still hard to believe that its been two whole years . . . but it's true our birthday boy is now TWO.

Birthday Dinner

2010-07-03T15:10:00.003-05:00

Last year on Jake's birthday we ventured to the Spaghetti Factory . . . so this year we decided to repeat. And this year was different in that Jake LOVES pasta now . . . and he was all about feeding himself this year. Though we were excited about Jake feeding himself and loving his dinner, I doubt the staff at the Spaghetti Factory were as enthused considering all the spaghetti that ended up on the floor. Even better though was the fact that they brought Jake his ice cream with two candles; he wasn't quite sure what to think but it was good practice.

And after dinner we wandered around Nashville for a bit and then headed back to Bowling Green for Jake's birthday firework show, otherwise known as Thunderfest.

H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y!!!

2010-07-02T14:12:00.004-05:00

Two whole years!! It has gone by so fast. Who knew that 104 weeks or 730 days could fly by like it has . . . and bring us so much joy in that time?!

Last year at this time we were so excited watching you walk as you were mastering your newly found skill. And with every new sound we were listening for new words with your small vocabulary of "mama", "dada", "dog" and "uh oh". BUT this year is different! You're not just walking . . . you're running and jumping and turning and climbing! You're not just learning new words but you're learning to put them together in sentences and learning to communicate what you want and how you want it and what you don't want too. You go non-stop, talk non-stop . . . and we love you non-stop too!

The laughs and smiles you bring we could never have imagined!

How you want to hug the lightning bugs . . . and how you want the baseball players on TV to throw you the ball . . . and how you think that you poop cookies in the potty . . . and how you think everything big and red with eyes is Bob the tomato . . . and how you wake up most mornings and point to the Fenway Park picture and say, "Baseball, mama?" as if your room was not decorated in baseball the night before and you are so excited that it is now . . . and how you tattle on Flash when she won't play "tatch" with you . . . and how you think that Big Red is Elmo . . . and how you get such joy out of playing catch with anything or anybody. . . and how everything with a red B is baseball and "Bed Soxs" to you . . . and how you wave the blue and white pom-pom and say, "Tats, Tats, Tats!" . . . and how when you want us to sit by you on the couch you say, "Sit on me" . . . and how you get upset at "mercials" when they interrupt the baseball game you are watching . . . and how when we get to the line in the Barney song that says, "with a great big hug" you immediately start to giggle and anticipate the big hug and kiss that is coming . . . and just how you are YOU!!!

We love you Jake . . . Happy Birthday little guy!

Toy Story to the Third

2010-07-01T23:05:00.005-05:00

With all things Toy Story at our house lately it was fitting to spend Jake's birthday eve taking in Toy Story 3 at the drive-in. The day included Toy Story mac n'cheese and Toy Story gummy snacks all with a Toy Story sippy cup . . . and ended with Toy Story PJs and "poporn" from a Toy Story movie bucket all while watching Toy Story 3 outside. It doesn't get much better in Jake's world . . .

To Toy Story dreamland and beyond!

Perfect Day for Catch

2010-07-01T19:04:00.005-05:00

Jake loves baseball more than we could have ever imagined. In Jake's world anything worth having is worth throwing at some point, just to see how it flys or bounces. Jake even loves catch so much that when we watch baseball on TV he continually tells the players on TV to throw to him the ball . . . he'll hold up his hands and say, "tatch".

And since today's weather was outstanding we headed outside for Jake's favorite activity . . . CATCH!!!

Birthday Week Begins . . .

2010-07-01T18:49:00.007-05:00

It's Birthday Week around here . . . with days and days of fun planned. The first couple of days have already past . . . but the best is yet to come!!!

Already we've had two days at Holiday World, gone to see the Hot Rods . . . and so much more!

Here's the fun we've had so far . . .

June 28 . . . relaxing (from Holiday World the day before),

catching up on Strasburg, playing outside . . .

June 29 . . . Holiday Day World (again) . . .

June 30 . . . Hot Rods baseball, high fiving Axle . . .

And there's more fun to come!!!

Saturday Morning Surprises

2010-06-26T08:47:00.004-05:00

Saturday mornings are different than the other 6 days . . . I don't set an alarm. And as crazy as it is to believe Jake often wakes up and plays in his room quietly enough that he doesn't wake me. As much as I'm appreciative of this in that it lets me sleep past 6:00 am once in awhile it does pose a bit of a problem . . . it gives Jake time to "play" in his room unsupervised. Now there is nothing in there that would likely hurt him . . . though he does pose a risk to himself in that he likes to climb and be adventurous. In fact it hasn't been that long since I found him one Saturday morning with the box of diapers from his closet and then with the stool from his bed on top of that and he was trying to climb to the top of the shelves in his room to reach the personalized Louisville Slugger bat. Now sometimes it's not a problem as he will only drag out his stuffed animals or his dirty laundry . . . but today, well the scene I found was rather interesting and worth a laugh.

This morning I didn't wake until 8:00 am, which is an all-time record . . . but that also meant that Jake had as much as an hour in his room "playing". As I opened the door I had my iphone ready and found . . .

The shoes no big deal, and pretty typical. The stuffed animals were no surprise as he has most of them in his bed anyway to sleep at night.

BUT then there was the sunscreen, which he got out of his closet, got out of the ziploc bag . . . and then attempted to apply! His words when I opened the door were, "I gream mama" . . . which doesn't necessarily imply that he tried to eat it since he calls sunscreen "ice cream" . . . but the fact that he had decided to apply it to his face first means he probably got a little taste.

Well seeing he's got the sunscreen out . . . and partially on . . . I guess we may as well get ready to go swimming this morning.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T21:42:00.003-05:00

Busy day . . . but day with "dada" . . . ending with some father son time watching the Red Sox. Happy Father's Day!

I Got It . . .

2010-06-20T21:38:00.003-05:00

Jake was right in the middle of all the excitement for the garter toss tonight at the wedding, even sporting his baseball glove . . . but he didn't catch it . . . which is a mute point because my little guy isn't leaving anytime soon!!! =)

Kitty Kat . . . Hug?

2010-06-20T21:31:00.003-05:00

Jake got to experience kittens first hand today . . . and unfortunately for them they got to experience Jake first hand too, but they were great about it. He continually kept running to the window and watching them sleep on the porch and couldn't wait to "hug" them. Our little animal lover was loving it when we finally went outside to love on the kittens . . .

Flying Solo

2010-06-13T15:17:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we packed up and headed to Holiday World once again, and as we got close Jake figured out exactly where we were . . . and he started saying, "Choo, choo" and "water" in alternating fashion at a blistering pace. Needless to say, he loves all the fun we have each time we go.

We, of course, took on the water park again which was awesome on such a hot day. Jake enjoyed the slides for his size, and we all enjoyed the wave pool. But this time the big hit with Jake was the rides . . . especially the ones he rode by himself. We rode the train at Jake's insistence . . . but then ventured to the really little kid rides that he could ride by himself. My swelling mama's heart was excited for him, but also realizing how big he really is getting. He was grinning from ear to ear as he passed each time on the carousel and spaceship ride . . . and my heart was a bit torn. So yesterday marked the first day that Jake rode rides "flying solo" . . . and he loved every minute of it.

The train we always ride . . .

the one that Jake cries about when we have to get off.

Mr. Independent . . . riding the carousel all by himself.

He managed after the ride was over to get off

the horse with his seat belt still on . . .

but then couldn't figure out why he couldn't walk away. Too funny . . .

And the little spaceship ride he LOVED!

In fact Ben went into unbuckle him and get him off and he grabbed the

straps and was trying to buckle himself back in so he could ride again!

Just Typing . . . and Remembering

2010-06-09T08:04:00.006-05:00

The words just aren't here today. I don't really know what to say or what I'm feeling. It's strange really . . . confusing almost.

In the last few days I've been struck multiple times by similarities to 2006 . . . the things we did and the places we went just before June 9, 2006. And even at one point yesterday I had a wave of emotion I hadn't felt in years. It was the feeling I got every time we stepped into the NICU . . . I can't even really describe it but it was a combination of angst and nervousness and fear and so many other things wrapped into one . . . why I felt it yesterday at that point was so odd to me. Even more over the last few days I've just had random memories from those days in June 2006 come rushing to my mind . . . and I don't even know why. It's a strange place this June 9th, 2010.

This morning as I reflected and looked at pictures and remembered I didn't really know what to feel. It's not the pain and emptiness I felt the first year . . . and it's not the sigh of relief I felt the second year . . . and it's not the blur of memory I felt last year . . . no this year is so all together different . . . and I don't know what I feel . . . it's confusing.

Yes, I miss her in that I wonder what it would be like if things had turned out differently . . . but then I realize I wouldn't be where I am now and likely wouldn't have Jake either . . . not that I love one more than the other, but I love and feel about each one of them so differently. Yet the weird thing to me is that I don't miss her like I thought I would and maybe that's God's healing in my life to give me peace about the fact that she is in a better place than even I am.

Tears stream down my face now as I remember, simply because I remember how unbelievably hard those weeks were and how raw those emotions were . . . and how I don't think I could do it again. This morning as I reread the words I wrote in my scrapbooks and journals those 4 years ago . . . over and over was the repetition of how it was all GOD . . . He was the creator and sustainer in those days . . . and still is! There were no surprises then . . . and it turned out just as He had planned . . . so there is no reason for confusion today . . . but instead Joy!

. . . weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

(These pictures are actually on the shelf in Jake's room where he sees and notices them frequently . . . and this morning of all mornings Jake went to the pictures and pointed to them and said, "Baby, mama.")

Swimming, Swimming, Swimming . . . the First Lesson

2010-06-06T17:00:00.004-05:00

So we broke out the pool again this weekend and enjoyed all kinds of fun and splashin! And today Jake even got his first swimming lesson . . . it was a start. But in between lessons in kicking and floating there was plenty of splashing and sliding!

"Oy Tory"

2010-06-06T16:47:00.004-05:00

These days it is all things Toy Story at our house . . . and the fact that it is all over the TV and everywhere in the stores only reinforces Jake's love for "oy tory", as Jake affectionately calls it. As a result, we've added a few more mouths to feed here at the Sweeney house lately . . . and they go by the names Woody, Buzz and Rex. They go with us to the store and to ballgames and to church and Jake rides them around the house in his car and they even sleep with him most nights . . . so welcome our Oy Tory friends.

The Sweeney Splashin' Safari

2010-05-31T17:59:00.012-05:00

We may not have gone to Holiday World this weekend but we made our own Sweeney "water park" including pool, sprinkler, water hose, fire truck and slide . . . who could ask for more?!?

And as you can see from below . . . Jake had a blast . . . and needless to say I got more than a little wet too in the crossfire of Jake's water cannon. I tried to get him to clean the gutters and patio furniture but he was much more interesting in spraying me . . . if only for the reaction (because the water was quite cold)!

Holiday . . . Splashin' Fun

2010-05-22T19:32:00.006-05:00

We packed up today and headed to Holiday World . . . and thanks to season passes (from Granny and Grandpa) we plan to go quite frequently this summer. Since it had been 10 months or so since we last went, we were excited to see how Jake reacted and how much fun he would have this year compared to last.

The verdict is in- HE LOVED IT!!

When we first arrived, he ran straight for Santa . . .

Later we rode the carousel and train . . .

And he loved the train so much he cried when we had to get off . . .

And he really loved the water . . . splashin', sliding, and all . . .

As we were walking away from the wave pool to leave he said, "Bye, bye water!"

And before we pulled out of the parking space he was OUT!

Mother's Day . . . the Sequel

2010-05-16T19:38:00.007-05:00

Since last weekend was kind of a bust due to my strep throat . . . we (I) decided to do Mother's Day all over again this weekend and celebrate for real.

Friday night we went out to eat . . . and then Saturday morning I got to sleep in some . . . and then finally today we finished my Mother's Day flower planting that I started last Sunday.

While I played in the dirt . . .

Ben and Jake played ball in the rain . . .

smiles abounded . . . it doesn't get much better.

And just now we had warm chocolate chip cookies and the sound of giggles fills the room as I watching my boys wrestle on the floor.

It's been a good Mother's Day weekend . . . just a few days late.

Mother's Day "Attempt"

2010-05-10T14:58:00.004-05:00

Mother's Day was not quite the what I had imagined or hoped for . . . so we are officially postponing Mother's Day at the Sweeney house to a later date.

Thanks to a bout with strep that started yesterday . . . it was tough to celebrate. I was determined though to try and act like nothing was wrong and do the "mommy thing" just because mommys can't be sick, right? So I attempted to plant flowers, as is my Mother's Day tradition since 2007 . . . and had ambitions of doing it with Jake. Two problems! First, I was sick and just didn't feel like it or enjoy it. Second, Jake does not like to get his hands dirty!! Seriously!?! Not sure how that happened or how we are going to work through it, but I'm working on it. In fact I tried numerous times to get him to come hold the flowers for me while I dug the hole but he wanted no part of it. He was all about bringing them to me in the pots but wanted nothing to do with dirt. Even more, I got my hands really dirty from the wet dirt of my petunia and grabbed his hands getting them dirty from my own and he was so mad and promptly wiped the dirt off on his shirt. All we could do was laugh!

So attempt one at Mother's Day is behind us . . .

. . . but we'll continue with it later this week, finishing up my flowers and loving on my little guy some more (after I'm not contagious).

In spite of it falling short of my idea, I'm so unbelievably thankful for Jake and my own mom.

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Does this face not say MISCHIEVOUS?

2010-05-08T21:40:00.006-05:00

If ever there was a word that describes Jake . . . it's probably mischievous! Well among other things . . . like funny, loving, and energetic and I'll stop there.

Tonight though I caught him in the midst of mischief . . . and even caught it on camera.

Does this face not say mischievous?

I love this little guy!! (even the mischievous parts)

Arky, Arky

2010-05-02T12:20:00.005-05:00

Not sure it's not time to start building an ark!

Thankfully we are safe and dry but I can't say the same for some of our neighbors . . . I pray they are all safe and that God will sustain them in what has to be disheartening as they see the water rising.

Here's the scene in our neighborhood . . .

What is to come?

2010-04-30T20:31:00.002-05:00

I left the room for a few minutes and came back to find this-

And if he's pulling these stunts at 22 months, what will be trying at 12 or 16 years old?!?

Softball Season is Here!

2010-04-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

Spring softball is now here . . . so our evenings at the ball field followed by ice cream at Culver's have begun!!! The verdict is still out how this season will be . . . with a energetic, passionate nearly two year old this softball season is SOOOO different than last year . . . when Jake was not yet walking at this point.

But sweetly this season since he is not only walking but running and playing . . . he also participates in the post game prayer . . .

The Little Things I Love . . .

2010-04-29T08:39:00.003-05:00

. . . there are so many sweet, funny things I love about Jake right now!!!

With his growing vocabulary he keeps us in stitches all the time saying the cutest and most off-the-wall things. However, I thought I would list a few that I just can't get enough of lately-

***

When he wants something he will hold his right hand out and use his left hand to hold his right arm in support (as if his right arm is SO heavy) . . . and will say, "Hab it? (have it?)" over and over. Usually the item he is asking for is something he can't have and he knows it so the "Hab it?"s continue on and on in a wear 'em down type of fashion . . . until something else gets his attention. It's just the cutest thing!

***

When we pass by Dairy Queen now he always asks with the question in his voice, "I gream? (ice cream?)" to which we almost always say no . . . so he proceeds to the more healthy request of "Nana". Since this is while driving we rarely have either one, so then he proceeds to "cacker" or "nak" . . . or eventually gives up. So funny and sweet but such a tell tell sign that he knows that DQ is where the ice cream comes from.

***

When we are all in the truck riding around Jake also likes to do what I have deemed "roll call". In this fun little game he'll say, "Dada" and Ben will say, "What buddy?" and then "Mama" to which I say, "What honey?" and then back to "Dada" and then back to "Mama" and then he'll mix it up with a "Mama" then a "Dada" . . . . and on and on. What is really priceless is if Ben and I are having a conversation and not so quick to respond to him and he goes into a frenzy of progressively louder, repeated "Mama"s and "Dada"s interspersed with giggles and smiles . . . because he thinks this game is just hilarious.

***

The real melt my heart moments though are when I come home from work and I'm putting my purse and coat up in the laundry room and I can hear just on the other side of the door the pitter patter of Jake's little feet coming to greet me . . . and when I open the door he says, "Mama" . . . and then I squat down to his level and get my welcome home hug and kiss. It just doesn't get any better than that!!

"MELMO" . . .

2010-04-17T13:36:00.007-05:00

. . . this is Jake's affectionate term for the Sesame Street character Elmo.

In spite of not having anything Elmo in our house or even on our TV, Jake has developed a love for Elmo. At any store when he sees Elmo he points and hollers and tells us of his love for Elmo . . . so today when we were visiting yard sales in our neighborhood and came upon an Elmo . . . well we bought it. Such a good find at a $1.00 for a nearly $50 toy . . . but more than that is the way Jake tickles and laughs at him when he wiggles and falls over in a fit of giggles.

Loving our "Melmo" . . .

Even funnier is the fact that there are times when "Melmo" won't stop laughing and moving at Jake's whim, and when that occurs Jake shoves "Melmo" in the kitchen cabinet for a while. I guess it's a time out of sorts . . . who knows.

But it gets even better . . . it was such a "Melmo" day! We went to the Red White scrimmage tonight at Western and couldn't wait to see Jake's response to Big Red, especially since the last time about 6 months ago was kind of shaky. Today though Jake was more than willing to be up close and personal, waving and giving fives to Big Red . . . and it wasn't until about 10 minutes later that Ben and I realized why . . . because at that point Jake pointed to Big Red and affectionately called him "Melmo".

Our own personal little "Melmo" and a big "Melmo" encounter . . . such a "Melmo" kind of day!!!!

My Little Monkey . . . Is Goin Bananas!!!

2010-04-13T20:45:00.003-05:00

It's crazy lately how many bananas we've been buying . . . for the last week or more Jake has eaten at least one banana everyday and some days he's eaten as many as three. Our little monkey is addicted to bananas lately . . . morning and night we hear, "Nana, Nana Peas"!

A Week for the Record Books

2010-04-11T09:30:00.004-05:00

. . . And Not in a Good Way! Whew am I glad this week is over and praying for a completely different kind of week coming up.

It literally was one of the most frustrating weeks we've had in a long time. In fact I'm nearly sure that my flexible spending medical Visa has been flagged as stolen and disabled for irregular activity. Having only been used once or twice in the last four months . . . and being used NINE times this week is the essence of the type of week we've experienced.

I am thankful for having a very healthy family, especially for Jake's good health, but I do get into a lull and take it for granted sometimes . . . not right now. With a potential issue with pink eye for Jake and then a for sure diagnosis of severe pink eye for me and then severe allergies for Jake with swollen eyes and trouble breathing . . . it's been a long week. Thankfully though I think we are on the mend. The progress for Jake yesterday in a matter of about 6-8 hours was wonderful . . . where he was lethargic and laboring to breathe in the morning but running around, chatting like his normal self by the evening.

So what am I most thankful for this week . . .

* A God who provides and cares even for our needs which are small in comparison to the issues around the world

* A husband who is patient and caring and stands in and holds us together even when I'm tired, frustrated and looking pretty rough

* A little boy that is now on the mend . . . and almost willing taking his breathing treatments and medicines without any whining

* A good pediatrician that cares so wonderfully for our little guy

* And good friends that encourage and give good advice when I'm unsure in the face of a conflicting diagnosis

Praying for our upcoming week . . . for good health most of all . . . and praying you have a good week too!

Easter Excitement!

2010-04-04T20:09:00.005-05:00

What a great weekend!

Best of all is Christ death and resurrection which paid our sin debt once and for all!

We celebrated His saving grace this morning as a family at church and then spent the afternoon enjoying the wonderful weather. Jake played a few holes of golf in the back yard while we were grilling out for lunch, and then we enjoyed the playground and some ice cream.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Loving Some Girl Scouts . . .

2010-03-20T20:03:00.003-05:00

This is the first year that Jake was able to enjoy Girl Scout cookie season, and let me tell you he is ENJOYING IT! Though not terribly particular and open to just about any kind of "coockee", he's rather fond of his daddy's favorite . . . the ever popular Thin Mint. As you can see he really gets into his cookie eating . . .

Gotta love the Girl Scouts!!

Speaking Jake . . .

2010-03-17T13:22:00.003-05:00

Jake is a talker!! Not sure where he gets that from . . . Ha ha!

Anyway, his vocabulary grows by the day, and he is quite the proficient communicator. Some of his words and nicknames though are hilarious, so I thought I would share a few.

If you're speaking Jake, the TV is called "BB". Not to be confused with a baby or a BB gun . . . he is referring to the TV.

And the TV is where he sees "Melmo". Now sometimes this is a reference to Elmo and sometimes to Barney . . . both of which have not made it in to the Sweeney house though he sees them at school.

Jake and nicknames . . . oh, the joy! Jake's little buddy at school's name is JD. Jake though doesn't quite have that down pat yet, so he just calls him "GD". And I'll leave it at that . . .

The best of all though is what Jake now calls Ben. Though he knows him as "Dada" and if you ask him where "Dada" is he finds and points, he doesn't always refer to him as "Dada". Nope, in a reference to copying me, because I refer to Ben as "Ben" obviously . . . Jake now calls for Ben by saying "Men, men" and then making kissing noises. It brings a smile to my face every time!!!

Only if you speak Jake . . .

Hello My Name is . . . TROUBLE

2010-03-08T19:56:00.002-06:00

Here is TROUBLE . . . not quite two years old yet . . . but sometimes wreaking havoc and breaching security! This shirt seemed most appropriate and I couldn't resist!!!!

"Big Boy" Bed . . . Oh My!

2010-03-08T19:47:00.003-06:00

As sad as it was, this past weekend we finally made the decision to move Jake out of his crib into a "big boy" bed. Though he still fit in the crib and we had no other reason to need the crib (believe me Jake is more than enough right now), Jake seems to sleep better on a normal mattress so we put away the crib and crib mattress for a new twin bed. Jake even "helped" out and got out his play tools to join in the fun. Though it is a bunk bed we opted for only the top bunk at this point . . . we're just not ready for Jake's superman, "watch me" moments yet.

Needless to say Jake LOVES his new bed!! His first words after he got up from his nap on Saturday and went into his room to see the bed were, "OH MY!" He has slept great each night ever since . . . and most evenings he takes me to his room and says, "bed". He's so proud . . .

Jake inspecting his "tools" . . .

Working on taking the crib apart . . .

Taking a quick break to check out the TV in his closet . . . it's only a matter of time before he gets up in the morning and turns it on.

Helping Ben with his new foot board . . .

Ben working on the bed without Jake's help during Jake's nap . . . this is when all the real work was accomplished.

Jake checking out his new bed . . .

"Yea, it bounces so much more than my old mattress . . . "

Checking out the Fenway picture from a whole new angle . . .

Such a big boy . . .

We Call Him "Bruiser" or "Rug Burn"

2010-03-04T20:01:00.004-06:00

Jake is ALL BOY! I can't tell you how daily he proves this to us. Even more he's quite tough! At times when he hurts himself I just know the loud wail is coming and it doesn't . . . he kind of stops for just a second but doesn't cry. Well our tough guy has been proving himself lately . . . and he's got the bruises and rug burn to prove it.

In the last week . . . he got a huge knot on the left side of his forehead, then a nice knot on the right side a few days later, then a long scratch on the right cheek . . . and topped it all off last night with a rug burn on the left side of his nose and face! Who knew you could rung burn your face like that?!? Only Jake . . .

So we're calling him Bruiser or Rug Burn these days . . . but I'm sure it's just begun!

Fast Friends

2010-03-04T19:49:00.003-06:00

As much as 6 months ago, Jake made his first friend. In all honesty I never really imagined that kids would make friends and have an affinity for specific kids their own age. Naive I know but I really just thought one year olds would just play and fail to share with others quite equally with no preference.

But Jake has a buddy and has had for several months! We became aware of it when Jake would hug him everyday when he got to daycare. No one else got hugs . . . but his little buddy did. We finally got them together one evening last week . . .

They are fast friends . . . and hopefully will be for a long time.

Jake's FIRST UK Basketball Game . . .

2010-02-20T21:24:00.005-06:00

So Jake went to his first UK basketball game today!!! And we had an absolute blast! It helped that it was a close game and that UK pulled it out in the end . . . but Jake had a great time even when they were cutting it a little too close for my comfort.

He was amazed at all the action and just soaked it up when the "Go Big Blue" chants would start! And he made friends all around (even the cute college girls in front of us rooting on the blue couldn't resist him)!

My little "Thing 1" was there supporting our #1 . . . the CATS! It was memorable for so many reasons!!!!

Watching the CATS shoot around before the game.

The CATS pregame shoot around . . .

Hanging out with Dad in the last few nail-biting moments!!!

After the game . . . the score disappeared within a minute of the end of the game. Hmmm?

Walking back after the game . . . our little cutie even scored a free pom-pom from another UK fan!!!

So much fun and a lot to celebrate!!

Valentines . . . Sweeney Style

2010-02-14T17:36:00.004-06:00

My Little Valentine

2010-02-12T17:00:00.007-06:00

Today was Jake's Valentine's Day party at school . . . so I went and joined in the fun with a dozen sugar-high toddlers! My little "heartbreaker" had his fill of sugar and went straight for the cupcake icing first . . . and then the sugar cookies. That could explain why he's bouncing endlessly on his horse at this very moment.

It was fun to spend time with him and see him interact with his friends and teachers . . . but I'm glad God only gave me one . . . thankfully no twins here :-)!

He was quite a handsome little boy this morning so I couldn't resist pictures of him in his Valentine shirt . . .

Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!

Snowy Sunday

2010-01-31T18:01:00.009-06:00

We made the most of our snow for fear Jake may be 10 years old before we have this much again . . . and went sledding again this afternoon. Let me just say Jake is totally a FAN! He so did not want to leave even after an hour in the cold and every time we got to the top he couldn't wait to find the lucky person to let him sled back down . . . and then of course that same lucky person gets to pull him back up. He even went down by himself in his little sled several times today!!!

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Oh, snow how we'll miss you . . .

More Snow . . . A Sledding We Will Go!

2010-01-30T18:07:00.006-06:00

This afternoon we went out in the snow again . . . this time to sled . . . and Jake is sold now! He sat silently as Ben pulled him from our house to the hill to sled . . . and wasn't completely sure the first time down . . . BUT before long he was lunging forward at the top of the hill trying to get us to go before everyone was out of the way!!! He so enjoyed it this time around.

We sledded . . . and he wandered around in it . . . he made a snow angel . . . and even ate some (no worries only white snow)!

Sledding . . .

Just chilling . . .

Talking about the sledding experience . . .

Snow angels . . .

Eating some snow . . .

FINALLY . . . the Snow Fell!

2010-01-30T13:14:00.005-06:00

We finally got the snow everyone in Bowling Green had been talking about all week. And for Jake it's the first significant snow fall in his lifetime . . . so it's a BIG deal.

After a good 30 minutes of layering up . . . 3 layers (plus a coat) . . . we were ready to go out in it!!!

So out in the SNOW we go!!!

At little unsure at about this stuff!

He's DONE!!!!

Happy sledding everyone!!

Preparing for the "BIG" Snow (aka Blizzard of 2010)

2010-01-30T13:09:00.002-06:00

We decided to anticipate the snow enough to get a sled and boots for Jake. Though we were fearful such anticipation might make it so we didn't get any at all . . . we took the plunge. And even before the snow fell Jake started getting ready for it . . . in the house that is!!

Bouncy Balls EVERYWHERE

2010-01-30T12:57:00.004-06:00

Of all the toys we own Jake's favorite pass time is to collect all the bouncy balls we have . . . which usually hovers around 8-10 (thanks to the 25 cent balls at Old Navy) . . . and throw them down the hall. It's usually a nightly pass time and if you're in our bedroom or bathroom which is adjacent to the hall it sounds a bit like World War 3 just beyond the wall. BUT Jake loves it and can't get enough of it . . . oh, and don't be touching the red ball because that one is his favorite!!!

Blog Marathon

2010-01-30T12:52:00.003-06:00

It's been a C-R-A-Z-Y month for me so blogging has not been on the priority list . . . but I did make sure and take a few pictures during the month so it wasn't completely lost (to work).

So today I'm trying to catch up while we're sitting at home with the beautiful snow outside . . . many entries to come today and even more pics.

So enjoy . . . !

Just A Little Bit of "White Stuff"

2010-01-08T07:08:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Jake's first time to actually see and remember snow. Being it was so cold it wasn't all the conducive to having a 1 year old play in it but we had to make the memory. Even in spite of the cold he must have enjoyed it . . . because this morning he went running through the kitchen and pointed out the window at the snow jabbering a mile a minute about it.

There will be more snow memories in our future . . . but here's some pics from the ones we made yesterday.

Little Bit of Wii

2010-01-03T18:18:00.002-06:00

For many months now Jake has pretended to play Wii with one of our TV remotes whenever we are playing the Wii. On New Years Eve he was really getting into watching some of us sword fight on Wii Resort . . . so Saturday Ben decided to let him really play. Not that he would be great at very many Wii games but sword fighting is one of his talents . . . he even won both matches that he played. It's rather funny and cute . . . but now it's created a monster so that he goes and gets the Wii remotes out of the ottoman and wants to play. It won't be long and he'll be a Wii pro.

Jake's Red Rider BB Gun

2010-01-03T18:07:00.002-06:00

We've had a little bit of Christmas here and there for the last week or so and just this weekend had Christmas with some of our best friends. We knew what they had gotten Jake and knew he would like it . . . and thought he might love it . . . but he REALLY L-O-V-E-S it. So much so that he didn't want to get out of it last night to go to bed and went straight to it first thing this morning as soon as his feet hit the floor . . . and has been in and out of it the better part of the entire afternoon. So it seems this gift has been Jake's Red Rider BB Gun . . .

The World Through Jake's Eyes . . .

2009-12-30T14:11:00.005-06:00

So Jake got a digital camera for Christmas . . . a totally indestructible one and believe me he's already tested that selling point. He's taken a handful of pictures so far . . . most of which are somewhat indiscernible . . . but interesting nonetheless.

As my cousin and I talked about Jake's camera on Sunday she made the point that it's kind of fun to see the pics he takes and see what the world looks like from his perspective and height. With that said there are some pictures he has taken of me which will not be posted on here . . . but goes with the point of it's an interesting view from where he stands.

Enjoy Jake's first photography endeavor . . . (Note some of them are ones we took of Jake with his camera but he's making some rather peculiar faces and that makes them fun.)

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T21:04:00.015-06:00

Christmas morning came with lots of laughs and smiles. Jake got into the present opening much more than last year . . . in fact so much so that he helped open every one's gifts . . . and he did not want Flash's help with opening anything. Here's a glimpse of our morning . . .

Jake patiently waiting for us to sort the presents out-

Before the chaos and mess-

Jake opening his presents . . .

Jake not happy about Flash trying to help open his present-

Jake chillin in his new chair-

Then came Jake's Present Opening Service . . . opening everyone else's presents-

Check out the house shoes on with the PJs with feet . . . a new trend I tell you!-

Jake's high tech camera which appears to be a phone as well . . .

Jake made me a plate . . . one of my favorite gifts-

Nothing beats a box though!!-

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Our Little F5

2009-12-22T07:16:00.004-06:00

On Thanksgiving we made gingerbread houses and though Jake was a spectator he didn't really participate all that much for many obvious reasons. So the gingerbread house has been sitting quietly in our kitchen since Thanksgiving and every couple days or so Jake will point at it and jabber as if to say, "Can I play with it?" or "Can I eat some of it?" Up till now I've always said, "No, not now" and let the house remain in peace . . . but this weekend I gave in. I set Jake at the kitchen table and set the gingerbread house in front of him and let him play (aka destroy) it. It was kind of like a little F5 tornado came through the gingerbread community . . . the snow man will never be the same . . . all the trees were completely lost . . . and the roof will probably require an insurance claim . . . BUT Jake enjoyed it!!!

New Spaces, New Places

2009-12-22T07:11:00.004-06:00

There has always been one cabinet without a lock in our kitchen . . . the Tupperware cabinet. At least once daily Jake seems to pull all the Tupperware out . . . sometimes he just enjoys the look of distress on my face when he does it and does it for the reaction . . . other times he pulls them out and wears them as hats . . . and still other times he pulls them out finds the biggest one and turns it over to use as a stool to get something he's not supposed to have (resourceful I tell you). But yet in all these months and all these times he's taken all the Tupperware out . . . he's never done what he did on this occasion . . . and now it's a regular occurrence. Never a dull moment!!

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-12T14:35:00.005-06:00

So we had breakfast with Santa this morning. Jake was all about the food and all the people . . . but Santa and Jake are not going to be friends this year!!

The candy cane that Santa had helped to make things a little better and we don't have any pictures from this morning quite like the Santa experience from last night . . . but the death grip was there at times around mine or Ben's neck. Mr. Quality Control had to trade his broken candy cane (broken courtesy of him of course) for a new unbroken one . . . but that was the best interaction he had with Santa for today.

So we're done with Santa for this year . . . maybe next year will be different.

Watching all the people below . . . instead of eating breakfast.

Point at the deer head . . . all the while saying "dawg".

Seeing Santa during breakfast . . . still not so sure.

Waiting to sit with Santa . . . with "that look".

Trying it with mama . . . still not so sure.

"I'll trade ya mine's broken." (Hmmm wonder how that happened?)

Check out Jake eyeing the candy bag . . .

There's a little smile . . . of course we are leaving at this point.

Santa . . . Nope!

2009-12-11T21:51:00.003-06:00

This year with Santa was a bit different than last year!!! Here's the comparison . . .

One year later-

Opryland Oh My!

2009-12-11T21:30:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we had to finish up some shopping at Oprymills Mall . . . so while we were there we decided to walk over and enjoy all the decorations at the Opryland Hotel. We'd taken Jake there on his birthday almost 6 months ago and he loved it! Last weekend was no different . . . all the water and all the lights and all the people!!