It has been such a busy month!
We had Easter and my Mom visiting, Jacob's Croup, Mommie & Daddie in pure exhaustion, the 24-hour power outage, traveling to Amarillo, Jacob's First Birthday, and my ordeal with our pediatrician.
So, where do I begin??? Let's begin with the wonderful time I had while my Mom and Sister (Melissa-the third oldest sister, right before Me) visited for Easter. My Mom had a few days off of work and had not spent quality time with Jacob since Thanksgiving. ( At Christmas we stayed at my parents house, but my Mom had to work, and we left early Christmas afternoon to travel back to DFW before the snow storm hit. To top it off, my Mom was not feeling well on Christmas Day so she did not get to hold and cuddle Jacob.) She also brought Melissa.
Melissa and I grew up sharing a room. My two older sisters shared a room, and Melissa and I shared a very small room. I love my sister. She has not had it easy, and I wonder if something I could have said, in a more encouraging way, would have made a difference to her. I think Melissa is beautiful, and I am always amazed at what a beautiful child she was. She was simply cute! Some people may look at her today and think she is a slob or ugly because she is overweight or does not have the money to have nicer clothing. Or someone may look at her body type and think poorly. In our family, we are well endowed women, and unfortunately, sometimes over endowed. Nevertheless, Melissa is my big sister who stood up to boys who tried to hurt me, who got beat up by a boy in the alley behind our house in order to protect me, who gives me a present for Christmas even when she needs that money for herself, and who always loves to see Jacob. Melissa is very special to me.
(Melissa does not like her picture taken...can you tell?)
So, Mom and Melissa had fun holding, playing and feeding Jacob. In fact, Melissa is Jacob's #1 eating buddy! Melissa feeds Jacob his favorite food - Strawberries. Jacob loves it. Melissa is so great with Jacob - she gets on the floor and plays with him, talks sweetly to him, and just makes him feel like a big boy.
(I will post Melissa & Jacob pics as soon as I find my camera)
Easter Sunday was wonderful. Justin, Jacob and I headed to church. (We have been visiting a church approximately 30 minutes away.) We were 10 minutes from the house when I realized my makeup bag was in the living room, and not in the car with me. I am very scary without makeup...or at least with our concealer under my eyes. We turned around and drove back to the house. By the time we reached the house, got back on the road, and checked Jacob into the nursery, we would have sat down for the last 10 minutes of the sermon just to get up and head back home. So, what did we do instead? We went to the park near our house, read a verse or two from the Bible, and took a nap in the car since Jacob was snoozing away. We did not forget what Easter was about. We took every opportunity to tell Jacob we celebrate Passion Week and Easter Sunday in honor of Jesus Christ, His last week of ministry, His death, His burial, His resurrection.
We went home to meet Mom and Melissa after our "nap." We filled Jacob's plastic Easter eggs with a small cracker, and hid them outside. As you can tell from the pictures below, Jacob just wanted to hang out in the grass and smash his eggs. Justin did such a great job in directing, and carrying, Jacob to the eggs. He was so sweet to his little guy!
Well, Mom and Melissa went back home, and I instantly missed them. I like having someone make dinner for me or take the baby so I can do something else. It was wonderful! I love my Momma, and hope she will be there for the birth of our next baby. Jacob also loves his Gran Momma, too!!!
Long story short is internet has been funny and hunky hubby’s work schedule changed. Where were we? Yes, catching up. It’s a good thing too since my dearly loved Nikon D80 has been sent in for repair. 
I nearly cried when they said four to six weeks. No loaners? What!? Crushing feeling inside. We have our 5th Anniversary, my birthday and Justin’s 30th birthday in the next six weeks. Let’s pray for a miracle that Miss Bess will get back to me sooner than later. Since we moved to good’ol Cowtown fours years ago, we have missed my parent’s anniversary and birthdays marking each summer month. My Dad is a Fourth of July baby, and we just kind of flounder around Fort Worth on the big day. Just seems so 
impersonal here and the holidays are even worse. We packed up and headed to see my parents for Dad’s 67th birthday. It was a wonderful, easy, quick trip. Have you seen the camels along 287 between Vernon and Wichita Falls. Love-love-love to see them. The owners were feeding them and the tall grass alongside the road has just been cut making easy access to stop and get out. The owners are wonderful. There is one bull, and apparently, you never want to underestimate the bull, 
alongside many females. Break out the camera and they come running, posing for pictures. They are so soft and their noses are soft like a horses’. They didn’t 
spit and have not been known too. Oh my goodness, I am in love with this herd of camels. 
Kaitlyn was too! The sky was cloudy and air cool which made for neat pictures. We didn’t see them on the return trip, but I cannot wait to go back home to catch a glimpse of this neat group.
