The Cason Family

So Far Behind

2010-05-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

I just seem to get farther and farther behind on blogging. I can't believe it has been almost a year since I last blogged. We are nearing our year mark in Corpus Christi, and honestly have to say, we are enjoying it, more than ever thought possible. The weather continues to be a new adventure, almost daily! :) The holidays really snuck up on me this year, due to the lack of cold air outside. Thanksgiving day was almost 90 degrees, although the wind made me think I was back in the Panhandle. For the most part, winter in south Texas is absolutely gorgeous. We've had a couple of cold snaps, but on average, daytime higs reach around 70 with clear blue skies, and little wind. BEAUTIFUL! Ask me again come August!! Ronnie is really enjoying his job down here. The working environment is so much better, and he is so much happier. I'm so happy for him and thankful to the Lord that He has placed us here.

Ethan continues to be my life's greatest blessing, and I love him more and more everyday, if that's even possible. He turned 2 years old in December...can you believe it? Where does the time go? He continues to amaze me with his sweet, joyful spirit. It's so contagious, and his smile brightens my heart like no other. I've included a few pictures taken over the last several weeks, and months. Be prepared to smile! :)

Some of the pictures above, obviously, were taken in Dumas. I have so many, it's almost impossible to keep them current on here. However, I PROMISE, I will be better about this whole blogging thing in 2011. I have beach pictures, birthday pictures, Christmas pictures, and so many more to share.

Just a few things that have happened since our relocation:

* We sold our house in Dumas last summer. I can't remember the exact month, but as I've said before, a very bittersweet blessing.

* We joined an amazing church a few months ago. River Hills Baptist. Our pastor is one of the

most humble, God-seeking, examples of a Christian man, and I have the upmost respect for him. Our Sunday School class is comprised of a group of some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Not only are we cultivating friendships for Ronnie and myself, but for Ethan as well. He loves the kids and the ladies in the nursery at church, and rarely even turns to say "Bye bye" to me anymore. Grateful, but, selfishly, tear... :,(

* We spent the holidays away from our families, and it was tough. This was the first time, in my entire life, that I've ever been away from my family for Christmas. However, thanks to some great friends, we had an amazing Thanksgiving lunch with the Luis Garcia family, and our

friends, Rob & Karen. And, thank you to the Simmons family and Herrington family (our pastor and family), we were able to spend Christmas afternoon with them, enjoying their company and some great food. SO BLESSED!!!

* We celebrated 2 years with precious Ethan! I can't believe my baby boy is already 2. It was a great weekend full of family, friends and celebration! We had right at 30 people in our

apartment! Interesting, but worked out well. We had a rock star themed party, and it was oh, so fun!! Again, SO BLESSED!

* My mom was offered a new position in Midland, Texas. Still with Devon, just with a different department, and we moved her right before Christmas. She is not much closer to us than she was in OKC, but she is closer to my Memom and my brother and his family. She just closed on her new home, and it is beautiful!! I'm so happy for her. I was somewhat torn when she said she was moving to Midland. When I drove away from Midland Memorial Hospital 3 1/2 short years ago, after spending the last 2 weeks of my Dad's life here on earth with him, I pretty much figured I would never have to return to Midland again. I was scared my emotions would get the best of me, and I would struggle visiting my mom. However, my Ronnie told me to just think of it as the place where my mom lives, not the place my Dad died, and that has helped. I was not near as torn up as I though I would be. I did shed a few tears the first time, and I just try my best to avoid driving by my dad's place or the hospital, and I think I will be fine.

* We found out we are going to be an Aunt and Uncle again. Ronnie's younger brother, Rusty,

and his wife, Tori, are expecting their first! So excited God continues to grow our family!

* My dad was joined in Heaven by my sister-in-law's sweet Daddy on January 21, 2011. We

were able to make the trip to Snyder to be there for the services, and time with family. He will be greatly missed, but praise the Lord he is no longer in pain or suffering. God's promise of a pain-free eternity in His glory reminds me, that even though these men are missed terribly on this earth by those left behind, they are dancing at the foot of the throne, in their healed, perfected bodies!!! What an amazing thing we have to look forward to! I would not exchange the glory either one of them are experiencing for another minute on this earth with us in pain.

Wow - that was way longer than I ever expected it to be. We've been busy! Lots of challenges, and opportunities to seek the Lord and His plan for our lives. I will post more later, with more pictures to share! But in the meantime, a couple of recent ones:

Extra! Extra! Read All About it!!

2010-03-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm still slacking on the blogging, but things have been pretty hectic around our place lately. So, for the big news I promised in my last blog entry:

WE ARE MOVING TO CORPUS CHRISTI!

Ronnie got transferred with his job there, and so this family of three is headed south! Ronnie started his new job yesterday, and is liking it so far. Ethan and I will be moving down there the week of April 12th. Ronnie will come back and get us.

This is very bittersweet, as we are going to miss Dumas, and everybody here, very very much. We love our home here, our church, our friends; however, there is a bigger plan at work, so off we go! One of my very best friends whom I went to college with lives in Corpus with her husband, so I am very excited to be close to them! They have been so sweet and offered their extra bedroom to Ronnie for these 2 weeks, until our apartment is ready to move into. I'm not looking forward to going back to apartment living, but it is only temporary. When we get familiarized with the city, and get a gameplan, we will start looking for more permanent housing arrangements. The weather will be quite an adjustment for this west Texas girl, but I think I can do it! :) I see lots of ponytails in my very near future.

So, stay tuned for the new adventures of the Cason family as we take this party to the Texas coast.

Good Grief

2010-02-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

WOW - has it really been 2 months since I last posted anything?? I'm really falling down on my job! In those two months, we've celebrated a certain special little boy's 1st birthday with cupcakes, cake, horses, giraffes, John Deere tractors, friends and family. (The animals and tractor are only toys, of course!) We celebrated Christmas in Snyder, New Year's with some wonderful friends, and dealt with 2 rounds of strep throat. Whew - we've been busy! I promise to catch up on this blog in the very near future with pictures, stories, and BIG news for our family (no, I'm not pregnant). Stay tuned and just a couple of pictures to tide you over!!! =o)

ONE YEAR!!!

2009-12-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

Ethan turned ONE yesterday, December 3. I can't believe he has been in my life for a year. What an amazingly blessed year I have had with my little man. However, he is growing up too fast!!! Thank you, Jesus, for my precious angel and for everyday I am able to spend with him! I love you to the moon and back, Ethan, and I look forward to many, many more milestone birthdays and many years with you.

I've Decided

2009-11-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to make my blog private. Sometimes it creeps me out that it is public and anybody can read it! If you want to continue to be a part of my blog, please leave me a comment with your email address and I'll add you!! Thanks!!!

Rockin' Out!

2009-11-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Happy 11 Months!

2009-11-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Happy 11 Months, precious Ethan! I can't believe the next time I post one of these, it will be for your one year birthday! You are growing up so fast and you are the most amazing baby I've ever known! I love you to the moon and back!!

P.S. Halloween post to come soon!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch in Etter (about 12 miles north of Dumas) and had so much fun. This was the first time I had ever been to a Pumpkin Patch, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait until next year and I can watch Ethan enjoy it, too! He wasn't quite sure what to think about all of it this year. We got some pretty cute pictures, and we came home with a pumpkin for our front porch. Fun family memories!!

As I begin my 30s...

2009-11-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

I turned 30 on October 2. It was not an easy day, I have to say. For the longest time, 30 just seemed so far away, and then, wham! It slams you in the face. However, they say everything gets better with age, so I am going to remember this and apply it to my life. My 20s were pretty great, so if this is the case, my 30s are going to be amazing!! My wonderful husband, along with some help from my mom, my Memom, and some of my closest friends, pulled off a SURPRISE party for me in Snyder! I don't know how they did it without me finding out (I tend to be a bit nosey) is a miracle, but they managed. We had so much fun! So many wonderful friends and family members were there to help me celebrate the big 3-0! All in all, being 30 isn't all that bad and I look forward to what lies ahead in this decade of my life!

Cute Pictures of a Cute Baby!

2009-11-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

Ethan is so photogenic, and I just love taking his picture. He is so funny; when he sees the silver camera, he immediately gets his "cheese" face on - hilarious! However, I've noticed that it is only when there is a silver camera in his face - any other color just won't do. Hahaha. Anyway, just wanted to share some of these cute pictures of this cute baby I have on my hands!!

Happy (Late) 10 Months!!

2009-10-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we were out of town visiting Ronnie's family in the beautiful Texas Hill Country when Ethan turned 10 months. I feel like an awful mother not posting anything yet for him, but sometimes life gets in the way. I have a lot to blog about, but I wanted to wish my angel a late Happy 10 Months!! I love you to the moon and back, sweet boy!!

Warning...

2009-09-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

No need for any further explanation!

My Little Helper

2009-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have the best little helper, ever!!! I was trying to get his clothes out of the dryer and hang and fold them, and all Ethan wanted to do was just throw what he could get in his hand on the floor! But, I didn't mind because he's just so darn cute!!!

Happy 9 Months!!

2009-09-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Our little angel is 9 months old today! Unbelievable! We had our 9 month check up today, as well. Ethan's doctor in Dumas left, so we had to find a new doctor. We chose Dr. Young in Amarillo, and we really, really like him. Ethan weighed 20 pounds and was 29 inches long. Growing boy!! Happy 9 months, sweet baby boy; I love you to the moon and back!!

Blue Ribbon Photo Contest for September

2009-09-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

It’s time for another round of the Blue Ribbon Photos contest at http://acowboyswife.com/

Every month, a photo contest will be held here, each one with a different theme. There will be two judges for each contest, whom of which will narrow down the entries one by one to choose the winners. There will only be one Blue Ribbon winner.

SEPTEMBER BLUE RIBBON PHOTO CONTEST

Please read the complete rules before submitting your photo!

Photo entries will be taken from today, September 1st through September 20th at 10pm CST. That’s over two full weeks to get your photo submitted here!

The September theme is “Sapphire”. Sapphire is September’s birth stone so anything blue related applies to this photo contest.

Here is my entry for the contest titled My Angel in Blue.

This is my son, Ethan, when he was about 3 months old. It is one of my favorite pictures of him!

Behind the RED Door!

2009-08-30T22:59:00.001-07:00

We finally got our front door painted red!! I absolutely love it!! I think it adds so much to the front of the house, and just completes it. I've always wanted a red front door, and I now have one!!!

Here is the picture (again!) of the house before any work was started on the outside. I think it looks a jillion times better!!! We've come a long way, and I'm so proud of our home!!!

Bucky Beaver Teeth!

2009-08-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ethan's front teeth are huge!!! It cracks me up when he smiles at me! =o) It's crazy how much the arrival of these new teeth has completely changed his appearance...he no longer looks like a baby. =o( He's growing up so fast, and turning into the cutest little man ever!!!

Chicago 2009

2009-08-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Ronnie and I spent 5 wonderful days in beautiful Chicago last week! We had a blast!! I had to go for a work conference on Friday & Saturday, so we decided to make a vacation out of it. I've been to the Windy City a couple times before, and absolutely love it! Ronnie had never been, so I wanted to show him around. We saw and did so many things and have so many wonderful memories! It is by far, my favorite city, ever, and I look forward to returning there someday! Here is a slide show of some of our pictures:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

8 months!!!

2009-08-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ethan is 8 months old today! Wasn't he just born yesterday?!? We are up to 8 teeth now and he is still the precious angel I held in my arms for the first time 8 SHORT months ago! Happy 8 Months, Baby Boy! I love you to the moon and back!!!

Teeth, Crawling, Pulling Up and Gerber Graduates

2009-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Ethan is growing up every second. He is currently working on 5 teeth! 5 - poor guy! 4 across the top and one more on bottom. That will make a total of 7 when these all come in. He has handled it pretty well, I have to brag, but sometimes, he is more than grumpy. Understandable, but hard on me just the same.

Crawling...we are almost there. He can get up on all fours, and rock, but he tries to crawl, and he falls on his face. =o) He gets right back up and tries again. Pretty soon, he'll be zooming around this house and in to everything. Fun times! He is also working on pulling up and he just about has it down. I can't believe he is old enough to start crawling and pulling up. Wasn't he just born yesterday?!

Gerber Graduates...since the acquisition of these new teeth, he is exploring new foods and textures. He finally figured out on Saturday the connection between hand and mouth. It is so cute! He really likes the Graduate flavored puffs (banana, peach, cinnamon apple, sweet potatoe, and strawberry apple) and is enjoying figuring out the process of eating things that don't come in a bottle. He ate half of a banana yesterday and really enjoyed that, too.
New day = new adventures!! I'm loving every second of it!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

This was Ethan's first July 4th! We stayed in Dumas this year, and had a great time. We went to the city park to check out what festivities the town had to offer (NOTHING like good 'ol Snyder), but that's ok. Not many small towns I know of go all out like Snyder does. I really missed it this year. Anyway, then we went out to some friends' house Saturday night and ate burgers and watched their kids set off some fireworks. The noises did not bother Ethan one bit. He had the best time and was mesmerized by all the colors. We watched the Dumas fireworks display from there and it was pretty good. Small and short, but good. We are so blessed to live in this great country where we do have so many freedoms and liberties. As I remember and celebrate those freedoms, I am humbled by the sacrifice so many Americans gave and continue to give in order for us to live the life we live in this country. America bless God, and God bless America. There is no greater nation.

Happy Birthday, Baby

2009-07-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today is also Ronnie's birthday. I just wanted to take a minute to tell him Happy Birthday!! Thank you, first and foremost, for your part in our son - he is the most beautiful blessing I've ever received. Thank you for the person you are and the person you make me. Thank you for everything you do to make sure your little family is taken care of. You work so hard, and I hope you know how very grateful we are for you and your willingness and ability to work. Thank you for your unconditional love - it still amazes me everyday. You love me for me, no games, no regrets, just pure, honest love. I can't imagine my life without you, and am eternally grateful to God for bringing us together. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and know that Ethan and I love you so very much and are so proud to call you husband and Dad. I look forward to many, many more birthday celebrations together! I love you, baby!! Happy Birthday!

7 Months

2009-07-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ethan is 7 months today - unbelievable!! This is such an exciting and amazing time in his life, and I am just taking it all in. He learns new things everyday, and it is such a joy to watch him grow, discover and learn. However, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to make time stop, that would be great!! He's growing up way too fast!

I love you to the moon and back, precious baby boy. I look forward to many more days, months and years with you, watching you grow into as sweet and beautiful of a boy as you are a baby. Happy 7 Months!!!

EJC

2009-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is hard to post every single picture I take of Ethan, so I decided that slide shows are the best way to share more pictures, quicker. This particular slide show is just some pictures of him over the last couple of months. He's just growing and I can't believe he's already nearly 7 months old! Enjoy!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Constant Work in Progress

2009-06-16T06:35:00.001-07:00

We have been working on the outside of our house, and it is really shaping up. We have pulled up some shrubs, planted flowers, bought a bench for the front porch, got a new roof, replaced the garage door, and are in the process of painting the trim and front door. The trim on the house was green and white (yuck!), and I've been wanting to paint it since we moved in but last year we were busy with the pregnancy and the loss of Daddy. We are painting the trim chocolate brown and khaki. The shrubs in the front of the house were ugly and just caught trash, so now pretty flowers are in their place. The roof was damaged by a hail storm last year, so we replaced it with a dark brown roof, and it looks awesome. The garage door was the original one from when the house was built, and it was literally crumbling at the bottom, so we replaced it with a khaki/beigh one that matches the underneath part of the trim. There was a really ugly, really big, plastic garden hose reel on the front of the house that we replaced with a wrought iron one. And, finally, the front door will be painted RED, but we haven't gotten to that yet. Pictures...

Front of house - Thanksgiving 2008, before any work was started:

Front of house after we pulled up shrubs, planted flowers, put the bench on the front porch, and replaced the garden hose holder:

House with brown and khaki trim (ignore the green garage door!):

Front of house with new, dark brown roof (again, ignore the green garage door):

And, finally, pictures of the front with the new garage door!:

Hopefully, we can finish up this weekend; I'm ready for my red front door! When we get that done, I think we'll be through with it for this year. We've done a lot of work, and the house looks so much better and we are so proud of it!

Asher is here, safe and sound!

2009-06-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

James Asher Shields (they will call him Asher) arrived Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. He is beautiful and absolutely perfect!! He has LOTS of blonde hair and blue eyes. Mom, Dad and baby are all doing really well. Everybody is healthy and happy, and big brother Reese can't wait for them to bring his new little brother home! We are so blessed...

God is good

2009-06-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, my family will be blessed yet again with a new life and member. I can't believe my little brother is going to be a dad tomorrow. Amazing. I can't wait to see this role fulfilled in Bub's life. He is going to be an awesome father. We are very excited and anxious for their little bundle to get here, but it's hard to believe it's already time! It seems like just yesterday they called to share their news. My mom, Ethan and I will be headed to Lubbock in the morning to await the arrival of Baby Shields. Please keep Stormy, Bub, Reese, baby, and all the doctors and nurses involved in the delivery tomorrow in your prayers. We pray for healthy baby and healthy mommy!!! I'll post pics as soon as I'm able. Yay!!!!!!!!!!

Growing Boy!

2009-06-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his 6-month check-up today. He weighed in at 17 pounds 10 ounces (50th percentile) and was 27 inches long (75th percentile). He is a happy, HEALTHY, growing boy!!

Big Boy Bath!

2009-06-03T12:53:00.001-07:00

Ethan loves bath time! Even more so now that he has graduated to the big people tub! I was able to snap a couple of pictures the other day when I was giving him a bath. So cute!!!

6 Months...Already!?!?

2009-06-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

My little man is 6 months old today! W.O.W. is all I can say. I can't believe how much he has blessed my life in the last 1/2 year - these little humans are quite amazing!!! I look forward to many, many, many more months with him! Happy 6 months, my little ray of sunshine! I love you to the moon and back!

I survived...

2009-06-02T13:30:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been a year since my Daddy passed away. May 30th was the day, actually. It was a very rough week because his birthday was on the 24th, and he would have been 60. I so wish he would have been here to celebrate with us. As hard as you try to make everything stop, time and life keep passing. As I reflect on the 28 wonderful years I shared with my dad, so many wonderful memories come to my mind. I cherish those memories and visit them often. I had the most wonderful father a child could ask for. He was kind, patient, supportive, loving, caring. He was at every event my brother and I were involved in growing up, and I could see the pride and love he had for us. He had his faults, as does everybody, but being a father was his passion and what he did best. I can only hope he was proud of the people my brother and I have become, and I hope he realized while he was alive that without him and my mom, Bub and I wouldn't be near the people we are today, and that we were proud of him as our Dad.

I don't think it was much easier this year, as all the emotions from last year came flooding back, but I thank God everyday I have an amazing blessing and bright spot in my life, my Ethan. He has truly been a God-send in every sense and I can't imagine my life without that precious little boy. I miss my dad terribly, and I'm sad he's not here to share Ethan's life with me, but I know he's smiling on us and loving that baby from his seat in Heaven. With the arrival of my brother's son very, very near, my family is being tremendously blessed again with this new life. I'm so thankful my other nephew, Reese, was able to know my dad and he can share stories with Ethan and Bub's baby about their grandad. The last week in May will continue to be a somber week for me for many many years to come. I don't think it will ever get easier, but my life is being continuously blessed here on Earth. I'll always have a Daddy sized hole in my life, but I'm so very thankful for the wonderful years we had together and the memories we made. Those memories will be with me always. I love you and miss you, Daddy.

I Said I Wouldn't...

2009-05-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

Twilight...I told myself I wouldn't get all wrapped up in the hoopla surrounding this book and movie, and the other 3 books in the series. Well, it happened. I did. I'm a big advocate of, if possible, reading the book before watching the movie. So, I bought the book, and I could barely put it down to even sleep until I was done with it. Then, what happened next??? I rented the movie and bought New Moon, book #2. And, now, I'm just as addicted as the next Twilight fan - I can't put these books down; it's crazy!! If you haven't read them, you should!!! Be one of those people!!! Haha!!!

Pimp Ride

2009-05-07T10:05:00.001-07:00

Ethan's Memom bought him a Jeep walker, and he absolutely loves it! He has such a good time when he is in it and is the cutest thing!! He gets so incredibly excited when we put him in it. It's hard to believe he is old enough to be put in a walker...where does the time go???

Happy 5 Months!

2009-05-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ethan turned 5 months yesterday - I can't believe it!! Happy 5 Months, Angel! I love you to the moon and back!!

I'm blessed...

2009-04-25T10:31:00.001-07:00

This face is the reason for my next breath and the beat of my heart. God is good!!

Sleeping in My Own Room

2009-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, as hard as it was for Mom, Ethan has promoted to sleeping in his own bed, in his own room. Sigh...he's growing up way too fast. He started sleeping in there on Monday, April 20. He had been sleeping in a bassinet in our room since we brought him home, but he was quickly outgrowing that, and it was time to give it to his cousin, who will be born in a few short weeks. I would have kept him in our room in his bassient until he's 18 probably, but realistically, I can't do that! He has not been bothered at all by the fact that he is all alone in his room and has slept just perfectly fine...his normal 10-12 hours every night. He still wakes up with a smile on his face which just melts my heart!!

Houston, We Have Teeth

2009-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, Ethan cut his first two teeth. This monumental event happened last Thursday, April 16. They are on the bottom, and are oh, so cute!! As you can imagine, it is awfully hard to get pictures of these pearly whites, so I unfortunately don't have any to share. However, as soon as I am able to steal one, I will post it!

Believe in Miracles

2009-04-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just love him!!! =o)

Baseball Games and Spiked Hair

2009-04-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

While Ethan and I were in Snyder last week, we went to watch Ethan's cousin Reese play baseball a couple of times. We finally had a nice enough day to sit in the bleachers and enjoy the game and the weather. Ethan's Aunt Stormy and friend, Sarah, enjoyed Ethan while he entertained the troops. He was so cute and so well behaved! He "talked" a lot during the game, which made me kind of nervous at first, but that quickly subsided as he has the sweetest voice. For whatever reason, Ethan went completely crazy over Stormy's cell phone. I've never seen him so excited - it was so funny! I think his end goal was to put it in his mouth, as is the goal with most things he can get his hands on these days. I have the same exact cell phone, and he never gets this excited over mine! We had a good time watching him talk, laugh and grab at her phone.

I decided to start spiking his hair on top, kind of in mohawk fashion, and it is so darn cute!!!!!!!! I just love it!!! However, I'm sure this kid would be cute with a mullet!?!?

Easter and Wow, it's Been a While

2009-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I have just realized it has been quite some time since I last blogged, and I have SO much to blog about!! So, therefore, this might turn into 2 or 3 different posts. I'll start off with Easter, and I'll try to go in chronological order! We went to Snyder for Easter and spent it with my family. We had such a great time and Ethan just looked absolutely adorable!! I swear that child gets more and more beautiful by the second! He was a little too small to hunt Easter eggs this year, but next year, it's on!!! Here a few pictures from Easter.

Happy 4 Months!!

2009-04-03T17:02:00.001-07:00

My baby boy is 4 months old today! Crazy, crazy, crazy! He blesses my life more and more everyday and I love him more and more every second (if that's even possible!). Happy 4 months, Ethan, I love you to the moon and back!!!

Ethan and his Uncle Bub

2009-03-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ethan absolutely adores his Uncle Bub. He (Ethan) can laugh at him (Uncle Bub) for hours and it's so cute!! I think the feeling from Uncle Bub toward Ethan is mutual!! Here is a video of them from last week - so great!!

Yay for Girl Time...Boo for Away Time from my Baby Boy

2009-03-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I went to Lubbock to spend the weekend with my best friend, Mona. This was the first time I've been away from Ethan, at all, and I have to say it was quite hard to leave him! But, the girl time with Mona was wonderful and much needed. We shopped, ate good food, had some good drinks, and just hung out. I appreciate my wonderful husband for allowing me to get away for a couple of days and being willing to take over all parental duties concerning Ethan for the weekend. He's the best dad and I know he & Ethan had some great bonding time! Anyway, back to my weekend, I really miss Lubbock and it doesn't even look like the same town I left 7 years ago. And, time with Mona is always a blast - we have a friendship like no other and I love her dearly! Thanks, girl, for such a wonderful weekend!!!!

Ronnie & Ethan met me in Amarillo for dinner on my way back home, and I could barely wait to get me an armful of Mr. Ethan and kiss my hubby! Here are some pics documenting the great weekend!!

My Little Irishman

2009-03-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, there is no denying that Ethan has a wee bit o' Irish in him! We took these pictures yesterday with him all dressed up in his St. Patty's day attire. He's getting so big - I am trying to remind myself every day to savor this time with him because one day soon, I'll look up, and he'll be walking out the door, headed to college. Ok, not going to think about that.....

3 Months and Growing...

2009-03-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I had every intention of posting this yesterday, when Ethan was exactly 3 months old, but I just didn't get it done, so I'm doing it today, when he is 3 months, 1 day old. I can't believe 3 months have already passed since the first day I met him - crazy how fast time goes! It amazes me every day the new things he is learning and the new things he is able to do. It's awesome and I love every minute of it!! He is the most precious little boy on the planet; I can say that because I'm his momma! He even wakes up smiling - how cool is that?? He is talking up a storm and has the sweetest voice ever. I can tickle his little belly and get big, belly laughs. That big toothless grin brings me more joy than I could have ever thought possible! Anyway, I took these pictures yesterday and he looks like he's mad at me! He has gotten to where he will quit smiling or look away when he sees the camera...oh well!

Happy 3 Months, precious precious angel boy!! I love you to the moon and back!!

25 rAnDoM tHiNgS aBoUt Me

2009-02-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've probably seen this floating around Facebook and/or MySpace, but I thought I'd share it with the blog world. When I was tagged on Facebook, I contemplated even doing it because I thought, how in the world can I come up with 25 random things about me? I'm not a very random person...well, was I ever wrong?!?! After I started, I had trouble stopping! I could have gone on way past 25...so, here you go!

1. I am completely OCD when it comes to the way my towels are folded. It drives me crazy if they are not done the way I want them.
2. I have to have decorative klennex in my purse. I can't stand to have plain white ones!
3. I secretly love living in Dumas...never thought I'd admit that!
4. I have always wanted to live in New York City.
5. I have 100+ pairs of shoes in my very small closet
6. Someday, I want to have a super fast, super loud sports car
7. I'm going to have another nephew in June!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. I have been blessed with the most beautiful baby boy!
9. I miss my family terribly
10. My bed has to be made a certain way; every pillow has its place
11. I absolutely crave margaritas. I can drink them like water.
12. I have completely different political views than some of my closest friends, but I love them anyway! =o)
13. It makes me sad everyday that my Dad is not here to share in Ethan's life with me.
14. I really want an iPhone
15. I am a night owl, always have been. And, I HATE mornings!
16. I swore I'd never own a Ford, now I own two, and I freakin' LOVE them!
17. I want to get my nose pierced again, but I realize I'm nearly 30 and am now a mom, and it's probably not appropriate anymore.
18. I love, love, love country music. The "hicker", the better!
19. I have a treadmill that I never use, but am fully aware that I should.
20. I would love to travel the world someday.
21. I trip over my own two feet.
22. I love the ocean, although I can't stand the sand and the heat
23. I think, no I'm convinced, that Texas IS the greatest place on Earth.
24. I miss my college days, but wouldn't change my life right now for any amount of money.
25. I love peaches and would gladly drive 9 hours to Fredericksburg to get some during the peach season.

Ethan laughing =o)

2009-02-11T10:55:00.001-08:00

Prune Mustache and Aquariums

2009-02-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ethan has started eating big boy foods. I know he's only 2 months old, but whatever works! We've been adding rice cereal to his formula for a while now, but last week we introduced him to some fruits...bananas, peaches, applesauce, pears and PRUNES (gag!). Anyway, I thought I'd try and give him some prunes with a spoon. After he figured out what to do with his tongue, he was a big fan! As you can see in thus picture, he was NOT a big fan of mommy taking the spoon away!

Anyway, it was a fun experience. I think he likes prunes WAY too much, though!! I had almost as much fun cleaning him up as he did eating it. =o)

Last night after church, they gave Ethan a baby shower. It was a great time of fellowship and fun. He got so many wonderful things, including this play gym. He played himself right to sleep this morning! He was so excited to kick the ball at the bottom and play with the animals at the top - so cute!!!

I'm a Terrible Mom, but....

2009-02-07T08:37:00.001-08:00

Last night, we met my mom and her friend Nancy in Amarillo for dinner (they were on their way to Dumas). Any of you who have been to Dumas know there is NO WHERE decent to eat, so Amarillo it is. We met them at Cheddar's and I decided I wanted to have a Pina Colada, and oh, it was GOOD!! Anyway, I shouldn't even share these pictures, but they were just too funny! I might get the "Worst Mom of the Year" award, but I'll have a good laugh getting it!

**No alcohol was injested by Ethan and no childern were hurt during these pictures**

This is What Happens When Dad Gets ahold of the Camera...

2009-02-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was reviewing the pictures in my camera when I ran across these of Ethan. I asked Ronnie when in the world he took these pictures, and how in the world did I not know he took them?! Needless to say, this is what happens when Daddy gets the camera, unsupervised:Ethan will hate us for these pictures someday, but they were too funny not to share!!!

It's Official, I'm Going to Have a Nephew!

2009-02-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

Monday, Stormy had another sonogram, and we found out they are having a boy!!! Ethan & I met her, my brother, Reesie, and Stormy's parents in Lubbock to celebrate. We are so excited they are having a boy!!! He & Ethan will have so much fun together. It was great to spend part of the day with them and share in their excitement. I can just imagine the shananigans Ethan and their son are going to get into one of these days - there's no telling what 2 boy minds can come up with! Not to mention, an older brother/cousin to add to the plotting & scheming! Oh well, it will be a blast!!!

Things that bring me Joy....

2009-01-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

I was just sitting here doing some work, and all of a sudden, things that bring me joy began to flood my thoughts. So, I thought I'd share with the blog world what keeps me smiling via pictures and short explanations. Here we go...

First and foremost, this face...

That in this house, we do serve the Lord. Also, that we live in a country where we are free to do so...

That we have a home to begin our story, and oh, the stories we've begun in this home

This picture and everything is represents, and all the memories it holds. Also, the act of repeating this picture! =o)

These pictures and the memories. I love the picture of my parents dancing, so much is said in their smiles. And, the one from my wedding, brings tears of joy and sadness as it was our last picture together as a family before the sudden loss of my dad. I love the fact we were able to be together on this special day and I have this memory frozen forever.

These precious shoes and the beautiful feet that occupy them!

This last name! I absolutely love being a Cason!

These colors and everything in my house that are these colors. They never get old to me.

My pink Dyson. I promised Ronnie that if he would buy me the pink one, he'd never have to vacuum with it, hence, the pink vacuum cleaner. I love the vacuum cleaner itself, but the fact that it's PINK just makes it that much better!!

Shopping for Ethan and filling his closet with the cutest clothes I can find!

For my house to smell good. I have a fear that people will walk in my house and think it stinks so I make sure I always have smell good stuff. My favorite scent is peach anything.

Clocks. We have a lot of them in this little house, but I still manage to run late?! I love the time passed on these clocks that is spent with family and friends.

A lot about this wall hanging. The colors, the zebra patterned bow it hangs by and the frilly dress. I love all things girly!

Movies! Especially chick flicks. And, I love to sit down and watch them with my honey and snuggle on the couch. =0D

Willow Tree figurines. But, these especially and all the stages of my life they represent. One in particular titled "Father & Daughter". It's the one in the middle. I gave it to my dad a few years ago, so when he passed away, I asked if I could have it. It represents so much as he was the first love of my life and as a little girl, he was my hero and could do no wrong. The other ones here represent our marriage, my pregnancy, our miracle, and Ronnie's role as "New Dad". It's amazing the emtions these figurines can conjour up.

My cell phone and all the wonderful conversations I have with friends and family on this phone. The glory of modern technology!

Our Wii and the time spent playing with Ronnie and the images I can see in my head of Ethan enjoying it in a few years!

Good smelling perfume and how it makes me feel beautiful and girly!

And, finally, but certainly not last and least, my husband and the fact I have someone to "Always Kiss Me Goodnight"

I am so blessed in my life and I have so many things I'm thankful for and that bring me joy!

How Time Flies

2009-01-19T15:51:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that Ethan is already 8 weeks old - where does the time go?????? He is growing up way too fast for my heart. He brings me such joy, it is amazing! I never thought I would enjoy being a mom as much as I do - by far, the most amazingly blessed calling in my life. Even 3 am feedings are a blessing! I look forward to all the time and days we will have together in the coming days, months and years. Little angel, you've completely changed my life and I'm so very grateful for you and your presence in my life.

Here a few pictures of Ethan over the last 8 weeks.

Ethan at 6 days.

8 days.

9 days.

A week and a half. 2 1/2 weeks

1 month

Ethan with his G-Lea!

Our Holiday Travels and Adventures

2009-01-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas season was quite eventful with many days spent on the road. With a newborn, that was quite a challenge, but we survived! We started out in Snyder, with my family. We spent five days there, I believe, including Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We had a great time! My mom, Ronnie, I, and Ethan stayed at my grandmother's house, and they lovingly and willingly took over baby duty at night so Ronnie and I could get some much needed rest. It was great - thanks! Christmas morning, we went over to my brother's house to have Christmas with an absurd amount of presents for everyone. The time spent together was priceless, however. We had Christmas lunch at Bub's house with our family and Stormy's parents. The food was delicious! Ethan had a 'My First Christmas' outfit that I was determined to put him in. It was a flannel suit and it was like 80 degrees outside, but I still managed, just long enough for pictures. Poor guy - I'm glad he's not yet to the age of remembering the ways his mother tortures him!

But, dang it, he just looked so cute!! The rest of our time in Snyder was just spent with family
and a few friends.

Our next destination: Granbury. Ronnie's grandparents live here, as well as his aunt and uncle. We spent about 2 days here, visiting and hanging with his family. His cousin, Zach, and wife, Tammy and nine month old baby girl, Madison, were all in from Colorado Springs so we got to spend a little time with them, as well. And, Ethan was able to meet one of his cousins; not that he'll remember, but oh well! We enjoyed our time in Granbury and are thankful we were able to spend a few days there.

Next: Kerrville via Johnson City. We left Granbury and headed to Kerrville, Ronnie's hometown. On the way, we stopped in Johnson City to visit some more of Ronnie's aunts, uncles and cousins. We were able to have dinner with them and visit for a few hours which was great. We don't get to see them very often so any time is treasured. Onward to Kerrville. Ronnie's parents and his younger brother, Rusty and his wife, Tori live in Kerrville. We were only able to spend 2 days in Kerrville before we had to start heading back north. We had a good time in the short hours we were there. We spent New Year's with Rusty & Tori at some friend's house - pretty low-key but still a good time.

Whew! From one end of the state to the other, but our travels were well worth it! Ethan traveled like a dream - he loves his car seat, as long as the car is moving! We made it home safely and are thankful for our very blessed holiday season. We were sad Daddy wasn't with us - Christmas was his absolute favorite time of year, but he joined us all in our hearts and memories. I look forward to next Christmas because Ethan will be 1, Bub & Stormy's baby will be 6 months old and Reese will be 9 - we'll have a complete blast with them!!

I don't have any New Year's resolutions, but I'm gladly welcoming in 2009. I look forward to a much calmer year than 2008 was, which will go down as the worst year of my life and the best year of my life. Our family lost a member very dear to all of us, but we ended the year being blessed with a beautiful new life in my son and he will always be our saving grace. The void left in my life from losing Daddy can never be filled, but the pain has somewhat lessened with the part of his legacy he left behind, Ethan. I hope everyone was blessed beyond belief during the 2008 holiday season; I know we were.

The Sweetest Sound

2009-01-11T16:00:00.001-08:00

I just have to share what happened in church this morning...Ethan laughed!!! It was so sweet and completely caught me off guard, but it was such a great moment!! He had the biggest grin on his face and just let out the sweetest "hehe" sound I have ever heard!!!! I can't wait to hear more!

Anyway, that's all, just wanted to share!!

Visitors!

2009-01-09T14:30:00.001-08:00

Well, I have just been awful at keeping this updated since Ethan joined our family. It's crazy how such a little person can consume so much time and energy! The week after Ethan arrived, Ronnie's parents came and spent the week with us. It was great having them here and they were able to spend some quality time with their new grandson. Virginia was a great help to me, as well, with the baby and keeping the laundry done and keeping us fed. I'm so glad they were able to be here with us since they live 9 hours away, it's hard for either of us to make the trip very often.
The weekend they left, my brother and Stormy came up to visit their nephew. We had a great time with them, and they are just pretty crazy about Ethan! Bub was a little nervous at first about holding him; he was afraid he might break him! I think by the end of the weekend, he had gotten the hang of it and was much more relaxed. We enjoyed having them here and spending time with them - thanks for coming!

The next week and a half, we were home alone, getting adjusted as a family and becoming more and more sleep deprived every day! Ronnie was able to take some time off work with his FMLA, which was great bonding time for Dad and baby and a huge help to mom! It was some great family time before we headed off on our trek across the state for the holidays...more posts later on Christmas!

Hard to Believe

2008-12-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me to fathom that we have been married for a year (well, yesterday was a year). One year ago, I stood in front of God, family and close friends and took my best friend as my husband - what a wonderful day that was!! We have been through a lot in the last year: buying a home, planning a beautiful wedding in a month and a half, moving me from Oklahoma City back to small town America, lovingly laboring over the house and making it home, finding out 4 months in to our marriage that we were expecting a miracle, 2 1/2 weeks in Midland Memorial Hospital with my very ill Dad and ultimately losing him and all the emotional rollercoasters that go with losing someone so close so unexpectedly, PREGNANCY and everything that goes with it, and welcoming our beautiful son. There is no one else on this earth I would rather have had by my side through the good and bad of 2008.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to share a few things I love so much about my husband and being married to him.

~ I love having a son together! It amazes me everyday what a beautiful creature we created!

~ I love watching him take care of Ethan, whatever his need, whatever hour of the day!

~ I love what we have done with our house and I have enjoyed immensely working together to make it ours and make it home.

~ I love how he lets me decorate however I want to (including using turquoise despite his dislike for the color).

~ I love watching him in the kitchen, cooking and taking care of me.

~ I love quiet nights at home with him, hanging out, watching movies, cooking...just being a family.

~ I love taking road trips with him, whether they are short or long journeys and the conversations we have on the road.

~ I love how he comforted me and let me feel every emotion during the loss of my father, as hard as it was on us, me and at times, our marriage.

~ I loved watching his eyes sparkle as he talked about our son during my pregnancy, and now to watch those same eyes look at our son with such love and pride.

~ I love being Mrs. Ronnie Cason - guys like him don't come along every day and I'm thankful he chose me to be his wife!!

~ HIM! With every ounce of my being, and that love grows everyday.

There are so many other things I could list here, but I don't have the time! I'm a very blessed girl and am thankful for my husband and look forward to many years of wedded bliss! I'm going to post a few pictures of our dating days; what a great time in our lives!!

Our Angel is Finally Here!!!!

2008-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. Ronnie & I are the VERY PROUD parents of a beautiful baby boy! Our little miracle, or big miracle, Ethan James Cason, arrived Wednesday, December 3, at 8:00 a.m. He weighed 9 pounds even and was 20 1/4 inches long. He is absolutely the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on, and by far my greatest accomplishment and I am in complete awe. Ronnie and I both are just amazed by this little person we created. I had no idea I could love someone so much at first glance. My whole perspective and reason for living and breathing has completely changed; I would go to the ends of the earth for that precious little boy. We have been so incredibly blessed by this addition to our family that has made us 3 instead of 2. Here are a few additional pictures of our first four days together!!

The Countdown to D-Day is in the Last Hours...

2008-12-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

D-Day, aka Delivery Day, is upon us. It has seemed so far off for nearly 9 months, and I can't believe that in less than 24 hours, I will be a mother. I'm definitely ready to meet my son but I'm also bittersweet right now. I have enjoyed being pregnant so much and I'm really going to miss Ethan being in my belly. Of course, I'm also to the point of being so miserable and uncomfortable, that I'm looking forward to getting him out of there!

We have elected to do a C-section tomorrow morning at 7:30. After much thought, consideration, prayer, and discussion, Ronnie, myself and my doctor have decided that this is our best option given all the information we have. Ethan is a BIG boy! And, my cervix is small, and is not preparing itself the way it should for a delivery with a due date less than one week away. There is a long family history on my side of the women carrying long after their due dates, not dilating, LONG labors and traumatic deliveries. And, I seem to be following in those same footsteps, so we've decided to avoid the chances of spending hours in labor with no success and having to do a C-section anyway.

I'm terrified and a complete nervous wreck, but I know everything will be fine. My main concern is that Ethan arrive safely and be healthy when he gets here. So, please keep our little family, the doctor, and all those involved in the surgery tomorrow in your prayers. I will post updates and pictures as soon as I am able.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T07:30:00.000-08:00

My second most favorite time of year...Thanksgiving. We had such a blessed one this year, despite my Daddy not being with us. We stayed in Dumas due to me being 8 1/2 months pregnant. My Memom, my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law and my step-nephew all came here. We had such a great time! Memom, Ronnie and I cooked and the food was delicious. We ate, sat around and reminisced about wonderful memories with my Dad, watched an old prom video I ran across when I moved to Dumas that was very comical! It was an amazingly blessed time of family and fellowship.

Now, it's time to gear up for Christmas and I can't wait! Especially this year because we will have a brand new addition to our family!!!

8 Things You Know You Want to Know About Me...

2008-11-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

8 Things About Me

I was tagged by Jenny!

8 TV Shows I love to watch:

1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Desperate Housewives
3. Eli Stone
4. Boston Legal
5. Reba re-runs
6. Still Standing re-runs
7. Dancing with the Stars
8. Friends re-runs

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Texas Roadhouse
2. Cheddar's
3. Blue Sky
4. Carino's
5. Taco Villa
6. Rosa's
7. The Alley Cafe
8. Great Wall

8 things that happened today:

1. I took a shower
2. I worked/am working
3. I did some laundry
4. I talked to Memom
5. I ate some toast for breakfast
6. I am filling this out
7. My 10 a.m. doctor appointment got moved to 1:15
8. I told our dog to shut up!

8 things I look forward to:

1. The day I get to meet my son, Ethan
2. Thanksgiving next week! My family is coming to Dumas to spend it at our house.
3. I am looking forward to seeing my brother, Stormy and Reese next week. We haven't seen them in over 2 months.
4. The day I get to meet my son, Ethan
5. Christmas and everything that goes with it!!
6. My doctor appointment this afternoon to see if I'm any closer to having this baby
7. I am looking forward to finding out the gender of Bub & Stormy's baby in a few months!
8. Did I mention, the day I get to meet my son, Ethan!?

8 Things on my wish list:

1. A healthy baby boy in the next couple to three weeks
2. Losing this baby belly so I can put my shoes on and get dressed with ease once again!
3. Time with family over the holidays; things will be very different this year, but as long as we're all together, we'll be ok.
4. A new dog to keep our dog company.
5. A cure for cancer
6. Blessed holiday season for friends and family
7. As much time as possible with my son when he gets here!
8. And, a healthy baby boy in the next couple to three weeks.

8 People I Tag:

1. Mona
2. Stormy
3. Karomy
4. Sherri
5. Renee
6. Mandy
7. Mandi
8. Lindsey

Christmas!!!!

2008-11-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering why my page is already decked out for Christmas. There are a few reasons. With the impending birth of my baby boy in the next couple to three weeks, I'm going to be a bit busy! Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and we don't get to celebrate it nearly long enough, so I'm getting a head start. Thanksgiving is my second favorite time of year, and I'm not taking anything away from that glorious holiday, I just want to be able to enjoy Christmas music and colors for as long as possible since a couple of days will be spent inside the four walls of a hospital room. I'm getting the most awesome gift for Christmas this year - my first child!! What an awesome Christmas season this is going to be for our families! I know as Ethan grows, they will just get better and better and I can barely wait!

I don't know how much, if any, decorating will get done at our house this year. and that makes me somewhat sad. I love Christmas trees and lights and all the fun decorations. Although, it is sometimes a pain to drag out all the Christmas decor, it still brings such joy to my heart. However, I did order us stockings a couple of weeks ago for the 3 of us. It was the best day when they came in the mail - they are just perfect and will last us for years to come! So, we will at least have stockings hung.

Home

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

"Having someone to love is family,

Having somewhere to go is home,

Having both is a blessing"

Our first home...what an incredible purchase, but what an incredible labor of love! =o) This house, which we've now made home, has brought us such joy, excitement, sweat, tears, and hard work, but such amazing memories! How fun is it to have your own home to begin your new life as Mr. & Mrs.?! Of course, the mortgage payment isn't always "fun", but it brings some sort of right of passage to a newly married couple. It's a small house, but a great house. We've filled it with our things and made it our home, and most especially, it is overflowing with love. I will post a few before and after pictures of the improvements and changes we've made since taking over on December 7, 2007. Wow - I can't believe we've been here nearly a year! We'll start in the living room:
The changes we made in this room are fairly obvious. Paint, new carpet, new 2" wood blinds in the windows, new lighting. On to the kitchen/dining room:

In here, we painted, put 2" blinds in the window, updated the lighting, replaced the nasty oven/stove with a new black one, have a black refrigerator, and just recently replaced the dishwasher. Oh, and also replaced the faucet on the sink. Now, the guest bedroom/nursery:

In here, we painted, new carpet, new blinds, new lighting. The guest part of the bathroom:

In here, we painted, replaced the faucet and are in the process of replacing the towel ring and toilet paper holder to bronze to match the faucet. And, the office/third bedroom:

In here, we replaced the carpet, got rid of the horrible longhorn on the wall and the terrible burnt orange paint, and replaced the lighting. And, last, but certainly not least, the master bedroom:

In this room, we painted, replaced the carpet, lighting, new blinds. We are still working on our part of the bathroom, replacing the faucet in there as well as towel ring, towel bar and toilet paper holder.

We just recently had to replace the heating/air conditioning unit. Our furnace was leaking natural gas, and it was the original system installed in the house when it was built in 1984, so the system was pretty much obsolete. Therefore, we had to have a new one put in, but it works beautifully!

My list is still not complete with all the changes and improvements I want to make. I think my list grows everyday, to the dismay of my husband - I know he wishes I would just stop wanting things! The things on that list, so far, are new counter tops in the kitchen, a new front door, new windows (these are quite leaky and drafty), and a new hot water heater, a new sink in the kitchen, new lighting in the bathrooms, new hardware on the cabinet doors in the kitchen and bathrooms. I realize all this can't be done overnight; just some things to work toward as budget and time allows. But for now, we are enjoying the improvements we have made and we love our house!!

Today...a Day that will go Down in History

2008-11-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

***If this post offends anyone, well just get over it. I'm not going to apologize for voicing my opinions and beliefs.***

Ok, so everybody knows what today is. If not, well, you must live in a hole because for about the last year, it's all we have heard about. I don't like to get into politics much because I realize not everybody shares my opinions and points of view, and frankly, I'm not educated enough in the subject to dwell too deeply into any heated discussions. I have to say I'm just as ready as the next person for this day to be over, but I'm even more tired of the coverage, the lies presented to this nation, and the one-sided media views of our candidates. I'm not 100% Republican; however, more times than not, I will vote that way because their platform is more in line with my beliefs than that of the Democratic party. But, in the event, I'm ever off my rocker and feel the Democratic candidate is the best man for the job, he will get my vote. This election year is DEFINITELY NOT one of those off my rocker years! I am amazed every day in the people of America, and the lies they believe. Their reasons for voting for this Messiah-like Democratic candidate are crazy - they are not thinking things through, and I'm constantly taken aback. I've heard reasons anywhere from "I'm voting for Obama because he's black" to "I'm voting for Obama because I'm young and I've never seen a President get assassinated." Seriously?!!? I don't care if he was green and purple polka dotted, the color of his skin should not be the main reason people vote for him. Yes, today, history will definitely be made...we will either have a man of color or a woman in the White House. I joke that my #1 reason for voting for McCain is Obama himself, but in all actuality, my reasons are much more thought out and deeper than that. Even if Obama wins the election, I can at least say I did my part to keep him out of the White House. I simply cannot stand by and support someone who won't even support the spirit of this great nation. This is America, the greatest nation in the world, and ONE NATION UNDER GOD, and we, as American citizens, are among the most blessed people in the world. This man won't even salute the red, white and blue that so many have fought and died for. He wants to change the national anthem to "If I Could Teach the World to Sing"?! What the...?!?!?! Our rights and priveleges as Americans MUST be protected, or we will loose them! I'm not saying I agree with everything Bush has done in the last 8 years; but I can say he has kept this war off of American soil. Also, people are so quick to blame him for everything, but they (Dems in particular) don't take into consideration that Congress is Democratic, and that Bush doesn't have the power they believe he does. There are very few things he can do on his own without Congress's approval. Clinton left this country vulnerable and Bush has gotten the blame since day one.

I'm not trying to convince people to vote McCain; I'm just asking and praying that people consider all the facts (not lies) presented and seriously think through their vote. I just hope by the end of the day, my faith in the American people and this democracy will be restored.

5 weeks and counting...

2008-11-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe only 5 weeks until Ethan's due date. It's crazy how quickly this pregnancy has flown by. Somedays, I'm more than ready for him to be here (the days I look down and see cankles instead of ankles and days it is uncomfortable just to walk to the kitchen to get a bottle of water). Then, there are days that I'm not ready and want him to stay in my belly longer. Those "good" days are definitely more abundant than the "bad" ones. I have a feeling I'm really going to miss his kicks and movements - such an amazing feeling! We are definitely ready to meet him though and begin our life as three instead of two.

However, I don't feel that I am anywhere near ready to bring a baby home. Do all new moms feel this way? Poor Ronnie, I've been in panic mode the last couple of weeks and have demanded so much from him, but he's such an angel and usually follows my orders...haha. We have put his pack-n-play together and taken it back apart (just so I could rest easier that all the parts were in the box). We (I say we, Ronnie, actually) put his stroller together and we installed his car seat in the Explorer. How can such little people require such BIG things?!?!

It didn't look this big in the store!! Oh well, I feel blessed to have a vehicle big enough to allow room for the car seat. I can't wait until there's a baby in there!

Anyway, his room is so NOT ready! We do at least have him a bassinet, so he'll have somewhere to sleep when he gets here. Our reasoning for not having the nursery ready yet is we have 3 bedrooms: our bedroom, my office, and the guest bedroom/nursery. My office is full of desk and work-related stuff, and the room is small, so no extra room to put a crib in the office. The guest bedroom is even smaller, and currently has the guest bed up. We are going to have so many people coming and going and staying with us after Ethan gets here, so we feel like keeping the guest bed up for a little bit is the best option. Once everybody goes home, we'll get a crib and fix his room up. Besides, he'll be sleeping in our room for a little while anyway. However, the fact that his room is not ready for him has me majorly stressed out, although I'm fully aware of why his room isn't ready and I know it will be in a matter of a weekend when we get ready. I just have to have something to worry about and stress about, I guess, because that's just how I operate. =o)

So, as we reach the end of this amazing journey, these parents-to-be are excited, scared, stressed, terrified and anxious, but so ready to meet our beautiful little boy!!

I'm Trying to be a Good Patient

2008-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

So, my only complaint during this pregnancy is the continuing return of a cold that won't go away. I'm in my second day of my 4th round with this stuff in the past 7 1/2 months, and let me just say that it sucks!! Congestion, coughing, sneezing, body aches, sore throat, pounding head...all of it, sucks. And, being pregnant, there's not a lot I can take to try to help relieve all this crap. I try not to whine too much to Ronnie, although he's very sweet when I do. Last night, he did a very sweet thing, and I wanted to share. My daddy used to make this homeade cheesy chicken noodle soup, and he almost always made it for me when I was sick. He rarely cooked with recipes, but thankfully, this was one of the few things that he used a recipe for. Anyway, my husband, being so wonderful, slaved in the kitchen last night for over an hour making me this soup because he knew how much better it would make me feel. It was so good and yay for leftovers!! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life who is able, and willing, to take care of me, especially when all I can do is moan, groan and whine about feeling so bad. I sure do love that guy, and look forward to the many ways he continues and will continue to show me just how much he loves me.

I'm Going to be an Aunt and Ethan is Going to Have a Cousin!!!

2008-10-16T10:53:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, October 9, my brother and sister-in-law, called to share their exciting news - they are expecting!!!!!!!!!! She is due in June, 2009. We are so EXCITED! This will be their first child together. Stormy has an 8-year-old son, Reese, who is just precious, and is so excited to be a BIG brother!! It's hard for me to believe my brother is old enough to (1) be a husband, and (2) be a Daddy, but he will be so great at it. We are all so excited (I'm over using that word, I know) that our kiddos will be about 6 months apart in age - that's going to be so cool! Holidays around our homes are going to be such a blast!! I can't wait to find out what they are going to have and I can't wait for our little Ethan and their blessing to be the best of cousins, and hopefully friends!

This news brings a bit of sadness to our family at the same time. We all wish Daddy was going to be here - he would have been the most awesome grandfather. He was so excited about mine and Ronnie's bundle of joy, and I know this would have just added to his joy and excitement. But, we know that he's holding both of our children in his lap right now, until it is time for us to hold them; and, our kiddos will just have one more guardian angel to watch over them. We love you, Daddy, and miss you more everyday.

My last 20-something, Kid-free birthday

2008-10-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

So, I never actually thought this day would get here; you know, the day of your last 20-something birthday. It has just always seemed so far off, and then wham! It's all of a sudden here. However, I've decided I'm stopping with this one, and will remain 29 forever....I did have an awesome birthday weekend, though. Ronnie & I went to Oklahoma City for 4 days. I had to work a couple of those days, but we still had a great time. Friday night, October 3rd, we spent the night at the Skirvin Hilton downtown OKC. It was awesome; such a beautiful hotel!

The rest of the weekend, we just hung out. We shopped, spent time with my mom, watched movies - it was great and so relaxing! Kudos to my husband for making it a priority to make my 29th birthday so wonderful!! At the time of the trip, I was about 7 months pregnant with our little Ethan.

The Joys of Pregnancy

2008-10-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Joys, you say? Yes, joys. I have been so blessed in my first pregnancy. I have felt better than I probably have in a long time. I have not, knock on wood, had one episode of morning sickness, all of my lab work has come back normal and good, and up until about a month ago, the only sign that I am actually pregnant is the beautiful sound of Ethan's heartbeat at my doctor appointments. I am 31 weeks today, and I have only gained 5 pounds, which for me is amazing because I can do that just by looking at something! So, yay for me!!

This has been such an amazing experience that could never be accurately described or put into words and we can barely wait to meet our son! I finally (without a doubt) felt him moving and kicking about a month and a half ago. I think I probably felt him move before then, but wasn't sure that's what I was feeling. But, what an awesome feeling!! Ronnie happened to have his hand on my belly and was talking to Ethan when he decided to make his first detectable move, so that was pretty awesome for mom & dad! This is another experience that could never be put into words, and I find myself anxiously awaiting his next kick and squirm. I have a feeling I'm really going to miss these moments of mommy-baby bonding time when he decides to make his appearance in the world. Ethan is quite the active little fellow, but I love to feel him swirling around and exploring his surroundings. We have such great days together; we work, we listen to music, we read and I look forward to when I can actually hold him. He's definitely starting to really grow and make his presence known, as he is starting to make me a little uncomfortable, but nothing too terrible yet. I'm incredibly short, so I don't have much room for him, so therefore he's pressing on things, but this is definitely a time to be cherished, despite the soreness and achiness.

The Difficult Challenge of Naming a Child

2008-10-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

I, being a girl, have always thought about names for my children, in the event I had any someday. Over the years, those names have changed and some have become as common as Joe, Bob, and Debra. However, when you are faced with actually having to name this beautiful life growing in your belly, it becomes some sort of indescribable challenge, like no challenge ever faced before. When we found out we were pregnant, the name choices began to fly out of our mouths - we thought, piece of cake. If it's a girl, we'll name her this; if it's a boy, we'll name him this. HAHAHA! In mid-July, we found out that we are having a boy. By this point, we thought we had decided on Ethan Thomas. However, after the passing of my Dad in May, I decided that if it was a boy, I would like to have "James" as his middle name. James is a family name on my dad's side, carried down through the generations. It is normally used as the first name, such as James Olen (my granddad), James Ronald (my dad), and James Allen (my brother), and so on. It is naturally my brother's duty, if he has a son, to name him James something or another. But, I wanted to, in some way, carry on and honor my father's name. So, my husband, being so wonderful and gracious, agreed to James as the middle name. For a little bit, we entertained the name of Graham Allen (both family names on both sides). However, if we have any children in the future, and none of them are boys, I would miss my chance at having a James. So, back to Ethan James. We were happy with this choice until one day, a friend of my husband's mentioned the name Hagan. At first, we thought, eh maybe not. But, the more we said it and after putting it with James, we decided we really liked that name, too. Back to decision making we went. For weeks, we went back and forth between Ethan James and Hagan James. This huge decision all of a sudden became the focal point of all of our conversations, as crazy as that may be, but it literally consumed us. Finally, one recent Sunday in church, the preacher included Romans 8:28 (the verse that goes with Ethan in a name book we have) in his sermon. Ronnie & I turned to the verse in my bible, and it was underlined (from a previous lesson in college, I believe). We both looked at each other and just knew the little one's name would be Ethan James Cason. We went on to read the next couple of verses following verse 28, and this is what it says:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."

So, that, my 2 readers, is the story of how we finally decided to call our firstborn Ethan James. Now, we move on to the easier things: getting his room ready, the actual delivery, and this thing called parenthood for the next forever! Ha - just kidding of course; now we are faced with the real challenge of raising him up in the ways of the Lord and praying daily he sees the truth and the way of our God.

From the Beginning

2008-09-29T14:51:00.001-07:00

Ok, well, I decided that I should probably put some background information on Ronnie & myself so that our story could be known. First off, I grew up in Snyder, Texas. I graduated from Snyder High School in 1998 and then attended Angelo State University for 2 1/2 years before transferring to and graduating from Texas Tech University in 2002. I was a case worker for Child Protective Services for a year in Big Spring and then decided that wasn't what I wanted to do...go figure. I have been in the medical field ever since as a Certified Professional Coder. I currently work for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, but I am fortunate and blessed to be able to work from home. Ronnie is from Kerrville, Texas, the beautiful part of Texas! He graduated from Tivy High School in 2001 and then attended Austin Community College in Fredericksburg for a couple of years before he was offered the opportunity to work for the United States Department of Agriculture as a food inspector in Cactus, Texas (north of Dumas). We met through mutual friends, Wesley & Julie Harper in April, 2007, and the rest is history, as they say! We currently reside in Dumas, Texas, where we bought our first home! We have our days when I miss the hustle and bustle of life in Oklahoma City, and Ronnie misses the beauty of the Hill Country, but we have been blessed beyond belief in Dumas, and have enjoyed our time here.

Our Bundle of Joy

2008-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

This blog is mainly dedicated to our little bundle of joy, arriving in December 2008. We found out in mid-April that we are expecting and in July that it is a boy. It's all been extremely overwhelming as we weren't planning to start a family so soon into our marriage. However, as his arrival gets closer, the more excited we get! We may not have been ready for a child, but God was ready to give us such an amazing gift, and this little one is God's proof that life must go on. I say this because on May 30, 2008, I lost my first love, my Dad, to cancer. His passing was such a shock to my family, as it happened so swiftly (for which we are thankful he did not have to endure much suffering or horrifying treatments). It has been extremely hard without him in my life and even harder to think I am carrying his first grandchild, and he will not be here (physically) to share in this joy and be a part of my son's life. However, I realize, now more than ever, that this child is a gift to my family, someone else for us to love and to fill a void left by losing Daddy. I praise God for this gift everyday. I will write more and add more updates on the little one as I can.