Home Again, Home Again

Thanks for the prayers, family and friends. Kendyll did great, and is at home resting. I have now been "mommy of a patient" at that ENT surgery center 5 times. Hopefully, that was the last one. :)

And, now that we're home, we're planning to spend the rest of our morning just "mommy and Kendyll". We got to have a slumber party together last night, since daddy's out of town and the sisters were at grandma's. She slept in my room on a pallet, and we had a late night movie and popcorn, since she couldn't eat this morning. It was fun to spend the night with JUST her---I don't think we've done that EVER!

Then, today, she got to pick what she wanted to do before we go to pick up the sisters. Her plan is to go to Celebrity Bakery (our favorite girly place nearby) and to get pedicures! So, this "tubes" thing worked out pretty well for her, I would say! :)

And, here's a side note, especially for our family, who has seen how SAD it is that Kendyll can't hear. She has literally not been able to hear anything at normal talking volume in a few months. Her music and TV has had to be at an amazingly loud level just to be heard by this girl. And, it had become so sad to watch her try so hard to hear, that she would even pretend that she heard you, and answer whatever she THOUGHT you might have said. It broke my heart.

Anyway, the doctor said today that her ears were awfully full of mucus and that we will probably see a huge difference in her hearing even today. He said he often hears stories of these kiddos being so sensitive to sound that they notice a door creak or a sound outside the house.

Well, she's already done that, and we've been home 30 minutes. She is laying in my bedroom resting, and she called me in the room to ask me "what that sound was". I stopped and listened and couldn't hear a thing. She said "it's like beeping". So, I listened closer....and it was Abby Kate's sound monitor across the house IN THE KITCHEN!!! It was obviously searching for a signal, because it was just letting out a series of small beeps. I just started laughing and told her what good news it was to know she was hearing that well. She smiled and said "Wow! I really CAN hear good, Mom!"

So, we're glad to have instant results. :)

And, by the way, it's pretty fun having Kendyll on loopy medicine too....her smiles are so big, and her laugh is so deep. It's precious. Seriously, how do you bottle that stuff for home?!

Prayers for Kendyll

I meant to write this MUCH earlier today...but if you happen to check blogs before tomorrow morning, we would love a little prayer for our Kendyll Grace. She goes in at 7:30 a.m. to have tubes put in her ears again. After many more ear infections, and some hearing tests she has completely failed (if you have been around her for any length of time, you already know about the hearing issues.... :), her ENT feels this is the best route to getting her ears healthy again.

I'll post an update after we return home!

And, in case anyone is wondering what career to go into, be an ENT!! The Jacobs family will keep you in business all by ourselves. :)

Thank you everyone!

A Song in My SOUL!

So, if you were ever an AVB fan, you now have a song in your head just from my title....(Okay, that's probably only my immediate family....Don't you remember, fam---"I've got a song in my SOUL and I wanna let it out, Your spirit in my life, well, it makes me wanna shou-out..."---all sung with a double-clap from the audience. :) (Okay, Cass, I fixed my mistake. Thanks for helping me out on the lyrics---it's been a while since I was doing the electric slide with Tiffany at those concerts. :)

ANYWAY, I digress. On to the point...

This blogging thing has had its ups and downs for me...but, truly, the last few days have been fun. As I've learned how to add things that make it "mine", it has been rewarding to watch it change (and there's more coming, I hope!) One thing I have added has been a song or two. And, that was no light decision for me...as with anything else I have to decide. :)


There were hundreds of songs I could have chosen---and SO many that I love---but I really wanted to be selective and choose only a few that represented my life right in this moment. And, especially, that summed up the purpose of my blog.

So, I wanted to talk about them for a minute.

First of all, if you know me, you know that I have two best friends who don't really know me very well....but I feel like I know them.

Steven Curtis Chapman and Nichole Nordeman. I know, I know. I'm a predictable Christian music follower. I've been called a grandma for this....but I don't care. They each truly speak to my heart and have an amazing God-given talent. I respect them as musicians and song-writers, but also as the Godly spouses, parents, and "everyday people" that they are.

I chose two of my favorite Nichole songs (although I literally could have chosen 60.) :

* "Legacy" speaks of the incredible responsibility we have in leaving a legacy after we are gone and challenges me to really think about what I'm doing every day to do just that. My favorite (and most challenging) line is "Did I point to Him enough?" Absolutely my goal in life is to point to Him every day and "bless His name unapologetically".


*"I Am" is one of the first songs I ever heard Nichole play in concert. And, I bawled through it. I had just had Kendyll (in fact, she was nestled in her carrier under the pew during the concert), and as she sang about the stage of motherhood, I completely related. This song so amazingly sums up each season of life that we go through and especially how our relationship with God deepens and becomes more of what we need with each stage we enter. Truly an amazing song.


There are so many more songs that I could add by my BFF Nichole. But, I'll stop there. Those two sum up---quite well---the season of life I am dwelling in right now.


Now, on to "Stevie C", as my sister calls him. Once again, the number of songs were limitless. Yet, his latest album (which I just got for Christmas) speaks to me like no other album of his has done. It hits me right where I am right now, and every song means something to me.

*"Cinderella" couldn't be more perfect for our family, as he describes not wanting to miss a moment of his sweet girls' dancing. Oh my goodness, the tears were flowing when I heard this for the first time. And, I've cried many times since then as I listen and picture our future with three girls to dance with their daddy.


*"Changing the World" is one of those songs that every mother needs to hear. Another tear jerker. It speaks right to our hearts, as mommies, and reminds me that everyday things that seem small and mundane each day truly do have a purpose. And, the Lord is using us as mothers EVERY DAY in our homes. This is one of those songs that came along at just the right time for me. Lord, may I strive to see every smile, hug, and cleaned up spill as a chance to "change the world".


*"Children of God" is just a fun song, and sums up what I want my children to know most of all. That they are precious children of God. Kendyll loves to play "air guitar" to this one, and we sing it quite loud in the car. I pray every time that the words of the song seep into these girls' hearts as they dance along. :)

I also love that this song is sung by Caleb, Steven's son. It is amazing to watch as a child grows up and grows into his God-given talents. Mark and I have had many conversations and countless prayers about the awesome responsibility---and great joy---of encouraging and allowing our girls to discover and use their gifts and talents the Lord has planned for them. This song makes me smile when I remember Caleb being a tiny toddler, and now listening to him rock out with a guitar just like his dad.


*"We Will Dance" is on my all-time favorites list. A wonderful testament to the absolute commitment of marriage. I'm so blessed to be able to sing this about my own marriage. Through every season---even the busy ones, like we are in now---we will dance. So, I guess that is my song for him. :)


*"Give it all Away" is by Aaron Shust (another one I love!), and just constantly reminds me to give it all back to Him. Everything is His. And, I feel like it is an appropriate 'blog" song. Nothing we enjoy, nothing we plan, nothing we have, comes from us. I pray that I give credit where credit is due when I am blogging about my family. The song says:

"All my plans, all my dreams, I lay them down before your feet; All of my time, all that was mine, I now submit to your design". Later it says "You make me dance, You make me laugh, You make me sing". I love that.

So, there you have it. The reason behind the music. Hope you enjoy the new addition of the "songs of my heart".

Brrrr....It's Cold!

Thank you for your patience as I completely rework my silly blog. It did not cooperate with Shelley's cute design ideas, so we're back to the basics for now. I am still working on all of the fun, new things I've been taught....thank you Shelley, Sara, and Cassie for your tutoring lessons!!

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On to the winter blog...

I really don't have much to say, but I felt like I needed a new post entry for January, since the month has practically passed us by!

As we would expect for a Texas January, it's been pretty cold around here. And, of course, that usually makes this homebody-mommy very happy. :) However, it also means much more time indoors with three kiddos....which adds up to hours upon hours of playing and trying to keep everyone occupied. :) And, you should see my house after one afternoon!

The top few activities over the last few days have been: making tents with blankets on the dining room table, reading stacks of books, painting, coloring, playdough, playing babies, and destroying the playroom with toys...and the biggest culprit is our "little bit". :)And, no matter what toys we may own, isn't it true that every baby would rather have a box?

Or, maybe a drawer? It certainly makes this little monkey happy...

The mess in the floor after a day of play drives me crazy, but the artwork hung everywhere makes me smile.

We had a "snow day" of our own last week, when Carlie skipped school, and we spent the morning reading all of my snow/winter books from school days. We had seen a possibility of snow flurries in the forecast, and that's all it took for the girls to start planning their snowland fun. We hoped that our snow art (plus some prayer) would bring some flakes to our skies. Thank the Lord that my girls saw at least 8 snowflakes outside a few hours later. It at least satisfied the urge for a while.

They got to make a "Valentine House" with Grandma (pictured above), which has given them the "itch" for Valentine's to be here! Kendyll already bought her valentine cards for our family, and have them hiding in her "special place" (under her bed).

I'm actually looking VERY forward to Valentine's too...Mark and I have a surprise up our sleeve that will be revealed to the girls on February 1st. Let's just say they are going to be beyond excited...and I am too!! :)

Under Construction

My sweet friend, Shelley, has offered her creative services for my ugly blog. So, since she asked, I thankfully said "yes"! So, bare with us (well, really her!) while she works her magic. :) I'm not really sure what all it requires to change this stuff, but apparently my blog is being difficult and not letting her do it....

Anyway, check back later for her finished work. :)

Fa la la la la....

....in the middle of January. :)

It's time to finish off 2007, so I can blog about something new!

Our Christmas could be summed up in one word: abundant. In fact, I just looked up the meaning of the word and it said this: "present in great quantity; plentiful; abounding with; rich". It was exactly that on so many levels. Abundant in family. Plentiful in presents, but also in love. Rich in blessings (like a new healthy cousin who was born!). And, definitely "present in great quantity". :)

Our holiday season took us on tour beginning in Dallas, on to Abilene, then to Austin, back to Dallas, over to Fort Worth, back to Austin, back to Fort Worth, back to Dallas, then to Mineola, and finally ending our travels in New Orleans for New Years Day.

And, in the midst of all that packing and re-packing, traveling, and sleeping everywhere but our own bed, I only had ONE breakdown! (That's less than was expected!) And, it was actually the night before we ever left for the first trip. I had just fallen in bed (literally) and my whole body ached from wrapping, running around, and packing a family of five. The tears started flowing, as I questioned why all the craziness....yet knowing the answer. We have an abundance of family waiting in many different cities to celebrate with us. And, as I gave all the busyness and anxiety that can overcrowd my mind back to God in those moments, I can honestly say He took care of the rest. :)

The good thing about writing this far out from the occasion is that you gain an ability to condense content (okay, let's get real. It's still the longest stinkin' blog ever.). As I had mentioned, I had over 350 pictures from these family times. And, had no idea where to start. So, to simplify it, I'm just going to hit the highlights of the blessings I experienced during our days...that I want to remember.

Of course, #1 on the list is our time with family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers. Our family overflows with people!! And, it makes it SO entertaining and full. In fact, there was one moment (as we were driving out of Austin for the second time), that I was so overcome with what God has given us that I cried. I just love my family so much, and love watching so many sweet people love on my girls so much.

So, here are a few family pics from the week:

We had a wonderful "first Christmas" with Abby Kate too. She was not so much interested in the gifts as she was the wrapping......and she found her sister's presents to be much more intriguing than her own. :)

One of my favorite moments of our own "little family" Christmas was when the girls gave their "sister gifts" to each other. They each shopped for the other two, and we started our Christmas with those gifts first. They were so excited to see their sister open their special present and were truly focused (for a moment) on the giving instead of the getting. And, I honestly think they were more thankful (verbally) for those two presents than any of the others. The sisterly love of this Christmas was very fun to watch. Here are a few of their huggy moments:

...although there were plenty of non-huggy moments too, I'm sure....I've just chosen to forget them and didn't bother capturing those on camera...except this one:

We also had wonderful gifts given to our family, complete with surprised expressions, big hugs, and pure excitement from little giggly girls. I love these faces of pure joy....

As I've mentioned before, we also had a bonus baby blessing during our Christmas! Baby Caleb joined our family on December 23rd! After a day of waiting and entertaining each other ( I learned how to do Sudoku!).... Caleb came into the world that evening! He was absolutely perfect...and we couldn't keep our hands off of him...especially Kendyll. :)

Of course, Santa also came to our house, with a "gift theme" of camping and outdoors. This is what our living room looked like. And, this is what he left the girls inside....he even remembered Mom & Dad this year and gave us our very own sleeping bag for TWO, plus a camping stove! (Please forgive the "sleepy" look! Santa's helpers were up until 3 a.m.)

Many of our Christmas traditions continued on....

(Omelettes on Christmas morning with Chef Daddy & his helper)

(Italian food and the YUMMY chocolate fountain on Christmas Eve with Pops and Grandma)

And, some new ones began.

(Christmas mexican fiesta, complete with pinata at Grandmother & Papa Roy's) (Christmas present game of "Clue" at Grandad & Grankay's...the answer was the paper pattern!)

Although I know I'm being way too repetitive, it was a wonderful week of celebrating Christmas with those we love. Now, hopefully those we love still love us after no pictures for this long! Ha ha. I'll be back with a New Year's blog about our Smookie Road Trip...I know you're dyin' for it. :)