Soundtrack

A New Beginning

Today I start a new chapter, a new beginning.  Yesterday was my last day of work at North Point Ministries, Inc. Here is the email I sent out to the staff:

Dear Staff:
Today is my last day on staff.  In June 2004 I cried throughout my entire first staff meeting dumbfounded that I could even be worthy enough to be sitting in the room.  Andy ended this meeting as he always does by saying "circle up with someone maybe you haven't prayed with and we'll see you in the halls".  I sat with Jenny Boyett and Rochelle Clark during my first prayer time.  When I look back at who I was then, I'm amazed and grateful how God was able to use this organization to mold me, influence me, grow me, and impact me into who I am today.  It's ironic actually that it's NPM that prepared me to feel equipped to leave NPM.
The last Sunday in May Sean Seay spoke at BBCC.  His message was "when you get there (wherever there is for you in this particular stage of your life) will you be glad you did or wish you had".  That sat on me pretty hard.  Three days later Sean Strickland died - a man I felt could say he was 'glad he did'.  God used Sean's message and Sean's death to bring me to the realization that it was time for me to stay at home.  Andy talks about one of the NPM principles is to work to replace yourself.  But, it made me think:  where is it that I am irreplaceable?  My answer was at home as a wife and mom.  I would challenge you to figure out where you are irreplaceable and make sure you are giving your best to that role.
So all that to say...Thank you for an amazing 5.5 years.  It's been an incredible journey!!
If you would like to keep in touch please email me at eashleyjansen@yahoo.com or check out my blog at ashleyjansen.typepad.com.
Sincerely,
Ashley Jansen

It's been an emotional week to say the least.  My sweet husband spent a lot of time consoling me each evening this week.  Tuesday night I cried and cried because Wednesday was my last staff meeting and my last time with my NPM Assimilation girls.  It was more than just the 'last' staff meeting it was what the last staff meeting signified for me.  The journey of who I was when I started on staff (a very discontent girl recovering from depression) to who I am now (a woman amazingly blessed and more in love than ever with her Savior, husband, and son) leaving staff.  Wednesday night I cried and cried because I couldn't stop thinking about actually leaving the office for the last time.  Those of you who know me well know that I like to know what is coming and what to expect.  So the unknown of how the end of the day was going to happen for me was very scary and emotional.

My last day was spent training my replacement from 9 until noon.  My team took me to lunch at our favorite little Chinese place, Rice.  I had my exit interview with HR at 2:00 p.m. - it was done by 2:06 p.m.  I did a few last things to finish-up work responsibilities.  A few of my team members left and so I said good-bye to them.  I had written each of them letters so I passed those out on their desk.  Then I had to clear my computer and change the desktop picture off of Hamilton.  I turned in my computer, keys, fob, and nameplate.  I walked over and said good-bye to Adam and Bob, the last two members that were in the office when I left.  I walked to get my purse, looked around my desk, turned and walked out.  I was crying during most of that last part.  Adam and Bob were sweet  - they didn't want me to walk out alone so they walked me out to my car.  I felt a little silly since I couldn't control my crying.  And I drove off the property...and that was it!

Sorta anti-climatic I guess.  Mark and Hamilton met me at On The Border for Mexican food and I cheated and ordered a Dr. Pepper for the first time in a LONG time.

And what's strange is I haven't cried since.  I've had a lot of friends and family email, text, or call me to see how I'm doing.  The funny thing is that nothing feels different right now.  I've always had Friday and Monday off so I don't think it will really hit me until next week when I don't go to work AT ALL!!

So thank you for all your prayers and support.  I really am thrilled about this new chapter ahead of me where I can concentrate on the two most important people in my life:  Mark and Hamilton.

Stay tuned for a lot of blog updates coming up...

 

More Decor Updates

Wanted to show you a few things I'm excited about that we got up in the house. 

First the playroom (got all of this stuff from the SchoolBox):

Then we got all our frames back from the frame shop and hung in our bedroom and bathroom.  Love them!

   

A New Family Member

Don't go freaking out on me...not that kind of family member.  The kind of family member that lives in water.  Blog readers it is my privilege to introduce you to Nemo:

Hamilton loves the movie Nemo.  I thought it might be a little scary to him, but he actually laughs during the shark part and loves to talk 'whale' like Dori.  We took Hamilton to PetsMart and let him pick out everything.  He chose the bridge, the color of fish, the grass, and the black rocks.  (Wait...you don't see black rocks?  Okay, well maybe we intervened on the rock color).  He reminds us everyday after dinner to feed Nemo and he helps us count out 5 pebbles of food.  He then watches Nemo eat each bite.  It's fun to experience Hamilton and pets.  He's even started to really enjoy Baylor; running and chasing her around.  Baylor finds it quite annoying, but as soon as Hamilton can throw a ball further than a couple of feet Baylor will have a new BFF!

Going along with the fish theme, we let Hamilton pick out the new light for his playroom.  This is what he chose:

It's hard to tell, but this is actually on the ceiling.  He LOVES it!  I'm starting to think that this boy might be having a Nemo 3rd B'day party.  We'll see.

  

Friends

Over the last couple of weeks I've been able to spend a lot of time with some good friends. 

First, my college roommate, maid of honor in my wedding, precious BFF for life Jennifer (Nelson) Black came in town from Dayton, OH for a weekend visit.  We had lots of fun talking about everything...EVERYTHING!!  We saw two movies in the theater - haven't done that in a long time.  And we taught her how to play our favorite game, Marbles.  I can't remember the score now, but I know we stayed up late a couple nights because I kept winning. :)  Here is a quick picture Mark took of us before we left for the airport.  I wish we would've taken more.  The friend I found in Jen I know is a rare find and I plan on holding onto her forever!

The next weekend Mark, Hamilton, and I drove to Knoxville to visit the Greiners.  Some of you are mutual friends of ours so you've already seen her post on her blog about the weekend, but I thought I'd share my post as well.  John and Megan were our first couple friends in Atlanta, they were our first small group leaders back in October 2002.  As I stated above, I know how rare it is to find a great friend.  I also know that it's even more rare to find a great couple friend where both you and your spouse gel so well with the other couple.  2009 has been a year I think of 'bonding' for the four of us: taking a couple trips together, sharing and investing in each other through some 'larger' topics/life decisions, and seeing our children get along so well has really made the friendship 'contagious'.  What I mean by that is when we spend time with each other we are already trying to plan the next time we'll see each other.  Which is how this trip got planned - John and Megan came in town for my surprise party and before they left we semi-booked the first weekend in October to come to Knoxville.  So I'll stop babbling about that and get onto sharing some a lot of pictures of our weekend.

When we got there Friday night the four of us went out to a really nice dinner for a date night.  We put the kids to bed and hired a babysitter to watch TV (being sarcastic..sorta) while we got some good conversation time.  Here we are after we got back...

Saturday we sorta slept-in - well at least me and Megan sorta did.  The guys got up with the kids and went to get us donuts for breakfast.  Ansley had a soccer game that afternoon - it was fun to go to the game.  Took me back to the many of games I went to watching my sister at that age play.  I even french-braided Ansley's hair...I did Katie's hair every game even throughout high school!  I think if mom and dad had been there we would've all cried remembering!  I think their team won...funny I forgot to ask (we came a little late to bring lunch to the kids so I don't know what the score was when we got there).  Here are a few pics of the boys at the game...I think I've said this before, but is it just me or could they be brothers?

And playing together slightly ON the soccer field :)

 
 
After the game we drove to the park outside Cade's Cove.  It was a beautiful afternoon - not too hot or cold.  The Greiners had quite the picnic entourage - a full bin ready with all the goodies for smores, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.  When Megan told me they wanted to go on a picnic I thought we were bringing a blanket and eating sandwiches.  They had chairs, and a little grill, and all the utensils and everything - it was fantastic!  Probably the closest Megan and I will ever get to camping..HA!  Here are some pics of the kids while we were waiting for the 'campsite' to be put together.

We walked down to this little stream and had lots of fun walking on the rocks and Mark and Hamilton even walked across this fallen tree.  Quite the dare-devils those boys of mine!

We ended the evening with our yummy smores!  Here's Hamilton's first bite.

We left the next afternoon after church and lunch.  It went by way too fast - it was such a wonderful weekend!  Thanks Aunt Megan, Uncle John, Ansley and Christian for a wonderful and hospitable time!  Let's get the next date on the calendar!

In both of these relationships I have come to the understanding that distance doesn't matter.  I first learned this lesson in my relationship with Mark (most of our dating relationship and our entire engagement/courtship was long-distance between Texas and South Carolina).  It takes work and effort, but it doesn't mean the relationship has to be any weaker or lesser than.  Despite that statement one of my prayers recently has been for more good local friends.  Specifically, since I'm going to be staying at home soon (quick update:  official last day is still Nov. 5 and still no replacement has been found) some moms that I could meet and get to know for play-dates, etc.  After praying specifically for this for about a month I found out about a mom's group (ironically on facebook) that meets every other Tuesday night.  It's a group of about 20-25 women that all have children in the baby to preschool age-range.  It is lead by a woman on staff at NP who has four children ranging in age from 12 to 20 - so she is very knowledgeable in the mothering category!  I've enjoyed learning from her as well as getting to know some of the other ladies in the group.  I'm very thankful for the opportunity God provided and look forward to getting involved even more.

Well I have less than two weeks until my last GroupLink.  So that means I'm in my last 'busy season' in regards to work - you can probably expect another big gap in time before my next post.  Soon...very soon...I should have A LOT more time to post :)

Long Overdue and Random Update

How is it possible that it's almost been another 3 weeks since I've posted?!?  I do apologize.  Let's see...what's been going on with us?

We went to the lake house with my in-law's for Labor Day weekend and for Mark's birthday. Hamilton helped Joan make a birthday cake for Mark.  He was a very good helper!  Even held the electric mixer!

Hamilton loves his PBJ sandwiches...this face just cracks me up!

Hamilton was so brave and started jumping off the dock into the water (where Mark was waiting and watching of course) all by himself!  Here is an after shot of one of those jumps.  What fun the lake will be next year!  (Note to self...enroll H in swimming lessons before next summer!)

We came home Sunday night and spent Monday together as a family of three.  We decided to go play golf - all three of us!  It was Hamilton's first experience with golf and he loved it!

Here's his first swing...

And his first trip chasing after his golf ball...love how he's so interested in the club dragging behind him. 

While we were out golfing we were having the house painted.  Here are some before and after pictures of the dramatic change!!  We love it.  What a difference a coat of paint can make to the look and feel of your home.

In our half bath we asked the painter to pull the mirror off the wall.  He even fixed the damaged drywall after the mirror-removal process for us.  Thanks Mom & Dad Hamilton for the new mirror!

Then that Tuesday night, mom came in town for the week.  She took care of Hamilton Wednesday while I was at work and then Mark and I left early Thursday morning to fly to Boston for his uncle's third wedding.  Mom stayed with Hamilton all week while we were gone.

The wedding, without going into too much detail, was one of the more interesting weekends of my life.  Unfortunately, we didn't have great weather while we were there.  Rained most of the time with very overcast skies.  I pulled out my jeans, fall sweaters, and fall shoes for the trip.  We took a ferry over to Nantucket for Thursday night.  Came back to Cape Cod Friday night for the bachelor and bachelorette parties.  (Mark's was at a nice steak/seafood restaurant; mine was at an Indian restaurant where the wedding party performed solo belly-dances.)  Saturday Mark went golfing with the guys and the girls went shopping and that night was the rehearsal dinner at their home.  It was supposed to be a cookout in their backyard, but the rain kept us inside.  The morning of the wedding we were able to do a little sight-seeing. 

The wedding was Sunday afternoon outside at a resort off of the Cape.  Luckily, it was the first day we had clear skies and saw the sun come out.  The wedding was short and sweet (officiated by the bride's divorce lawyer).  The dinner was spectacular!  They served salad, new potatoes, chicken breasts, BBQ'd ribs, and full lobsters (eyes and all - many of you know how this had to have thrilled me!).  Everyone wore their plastic lobster bibs at the table which was quite the hoot.  There was some not-going-to-mention family drama at the wedding and then we drove Monday morning back to the airport to fly home.  The wedding, overall, was very nice.  It was great for Mark to be able to reconnect with a lot of his family he had not seen in quite some time.  Ron and Diana are now on their 3 week honeymoon to Rome and a cruise along the Mediterranean!!  We wish them all our love and many years of happiness!!

The happy bride and groom immediately after their pronouncement:

Mark's mom, Joan, with her brothers and all their spouses:

Mark and his cousins - first time ever for them all to be together, much less have a picture made.

And the two of us:

I went to work Tuesday and mom flew home Tuesday night.  Unfortunately, I really didn't get to spend much time with mom at all.  It was hard to see her go - she's always such a joy and help when she is here.  I know Hamilton loved having her in town.  Thanks mom for coming!!

I took a few pictures of Hamilton with Emmy before she hopped on MARTA to the airport:

 

Luckily, we don't have much at all going on this weekend so we can take some time to breathe and hang out as a family of three.  Today was my first day with Hamilton since 9/7 so it was nice just to be together again.  We started his gymnastics up again today which he really enjoyed.  Then we went to Catch Air (an indoor play area) and Chick-fil-A for lunch with Brenna and Carsyn Kudlas.  Needless to say, he went to bed almost an hour before his normal nap time...he was worn out!

So now that I've updated you on what has been happening I can tell you what we've got coming up!  I'm so excited for Jennifer to be coming in town next weekend and then we head up to Knoxville to visit the Greiner's the first weekend of October.  I have work stuff the weekend of 10/10; my last GroupLink 10/22; and it has been determined my official last day is November 5.  I'm hoping that things slow down after the 5th, but I'm thinking it will be holiday time and I'll probably be waiting until 2010 for slowness to arrive.

Really that's all the update I have for now.  I will post when I can.  We are still interviewing for my replacement - I'm hoping that they nail down someone soon.  I sure would like to train someone to take my place rather than just put together a manual for someone to follow after I leave.

Sorry for such a long post and so many pictures...give yourself a pat on the back if you stuck with me this long!!

Slightly Busy

So it's September!!  Wow...can't believe my last post was about my birthday...that seems so long ago.  Wait, it was!!

So this past weekend was the August GroupLink, so work was CRAZY for me the last couple of weeks.  I actually got pretty emotional when it was all over.  I know that I will more than likely be around for the October GroupLink as well, but hanging out with my staff and volunteer team...I'm just going to miss them a lot.  I will sacrifice anything and everything for Hamilton - it just doesn't mean that it is necessarily easy.

In addition to work being crazy, our house has been in a flip-flop, moving around, messy, purging condition for the last month as well.  We love the result (and there is still some work to be done) and are so happy with the changes.  We have a painter coming this week to give us a quote for painting the entry, hallways, and 'new' dining room - nothing out of the ordinary, just a dark khaki (the paint color is called 'latte').  Here are some of our before and after pictures.

Study Before:

(envision the sewing table extended out with the sewing machine on top - I had already carried everything downstairs b/f I remembered to take before pictures)

Study After (+ second guest room):

Living Room Before:

Living Room After (the new Dining Room - not quite finished with the hutch):

Dining Room Before (All the 'junk' on the floor is the result of us going through a purge in the study and study closet. It was my holding room for stuff we needed to go through and/or get rid of. I felt like I needed to give a disclaimer so you didn't think that our dining room always looked this trashy.):

Dining Room After (the new Play Room - this would be the biggest change/addition we made):

We got a lot of great deals to  make this room perfect!  I went to a consignment sale with my friend Kelly and got the art easel and the train table for $75!  The rug we got at the Pottery Barn outlet, regularly $500 (redonkulas!!) on sale for $150 b/c of one little pull.  It is a really comfortable (thick & soft) rug! The book shelf was moved from the study upstairs and my sewing table is in the other corner (hard to see in this picture). 

After we are finished painting I will move my cross collection to the entryway and we are planning on painting the walls in the play room some fun primary colors.  I also am going to try to find some big letters and numbers to put around the room for some fun decor.

In addition to work and rearranging most of our home, I had a dermatology appointment a couple weeks back.  It was a yearly appointment (that I've missed the last few years) for just a general 'body scan' of freckles, moles, etc.  They ended up having to remove/biopsy two and one of them came back as moderately abnormal.  (There are four 'levels': minor, moderate, severe, Melanoma Cancer).  So mine was moderate which means ultimately benign, but still required a second biopsy of the area to make sure they got all the abnormal cells.  My follow-up surgery was today.  They had originally told me they were going to take a few more millimeters in diameter.  Ummm...NOT!  I now have a 2" (INCHES) gash that required stitches and a huge bandage.  Thank goodness my sweet husband had decided to attend the appointment with me b/c my minor procedure turned into a minor surgery.  It took about 25 minutes for him to complete everything and 'sew' me up.  My appointment was at 10 a.m., and we didn't leave until 11:45.  They did prescribe me some fun narcotics though, so I'm excited to go take one of those before I go to sleep tonight :)

So...that's what has been going on with us the last few weeks.  What about you?  I will say that my comment count is at 897.  Remember if you post my 1,000th comment there is a slightly large ($50) Target Gift card coming your way!!

There is something I want to show all of you that Hamilton has started doing, but I have to get it on video first!  Stay tuned!

Turning 30!!

So Mark started celebrating my 30th birthday awhile back and he really hasn't stopped the entire month :)  I'm not complaining and have thoroughly enjoyed being loved on so much.

He started out with a surprise evening out on August 1st that he planned.  Hamilton went over to Mimi and Papa J's for a slumber party.  Mark had made reservations at Ray's Killer Creek (a great steak place) for dinner and had purchased tickets to 42nd Street - my most favorite broadway ever!  (It has A LOT of tap dancing!!)  It was showing at the FOX Theatre which is such a cool venue.  He also made a hotel reservation for us at The Georgian Terrace, which is literally across the street from the FOX.  The next morning we decided to attend Buckhead Church (one of NP's 3 campuses) for the 11:00 service before we picked up Hamilton.  It was such a fun weekend and I so enjoyed getting special time to hang out with my sweety.

Here we are at the Jansen's about to leave:

 

At the restaurant.  They even put Happy Birthday confetti on the table and gave me a free dessert.

 

Then this past weekend Mark surprised me again...this time with an actual surprise party.  I thought we were going over to the McLeod's for birthday dessert (Chris's birthday is tomorrow so it's something we've done before).  Well I walk in to about 20 people standing above me upstairs...here's my reaction (thanks to Megan's camera).

 

You may be wondering, "Megan?  She lives in Knoxville?"  Yep, even the Greiners came in town!!  I was especially shocked to see her since we had been texting all day of her 'other' plans...she's a good liar!

Here are the pictures of everyone that came.  The first was our serious pose, than our silly pose, and lastly our smooch pose.

 

 

 

And look at this cake...pretty beautiful, don't ya think?!?!

 

It was such a great evening.  The Greiners stayed at our house that night and the next morning (after the guys let us sleep in) Megan and I went shopping and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  Here we are before we left for our 'girls-day-out'.

 

That evening we met the McLeods for some yummy Mexican food at Cinco and came back to our house to hang out for the evening.  We laughed and talked and had a great time!!  Here is the 6 of us.  We set-up Megan's camera on the knee-wall in our kitchen on a timer to take our picture.  This is the reason we are all crouched in the kitchen...such a fun weekend with great friends!!  Thank you Megan and John for making the drive to help me celebrate my birthday - I really appreciate it...meant so much!!  Thank you Kimberly for helping Mark plan such a special party in my honor and opening your home to host.

 

And today, my actual birthday, I came to work and had balloons, flowers, cupcakes, and a sign greeting me.  It was very sweet to also be remembered by my work friends.  Mark met me for lunch at On The Border (had to get some yellow queso on my big day).  When I showed up to my 2:30 meeting I saw this:

 

It was made of all types of starburst.  There were also bottles of Dr. Pepper and other types of my favorite candies (skittles, sweetarts, laffy taffy, and sour patch kids) scattered around the table!  It was one of the best meetings ever...had plenty of sugar to keep me engaged the entire time :)  Thank you Kelly, Jenny, and Angela for helping me celebrate my birthday at work!

One of my family's birthday traditions is to get an ice cream cake.  This year I wanted to try Bruster's cake instead of Baskin-Robbins - it was delicious!!  Chocolate Oreo ice cream, white cake, and chocolate fudge icing in the middle.

 

Thank you to everyone who made my day special!!  I got lots of calls, emails, facebook messages, text messages, twitter messages, and even multiple serenades (thanks to mom & dad, Greiner fam, and Strickland ladies).  I do not end today without feeling very loved and cherished!  What a great way to start this next decade of my life.

A special thank-you to my precious husband for extending my celebration for almost 2 weeks...what a fantastic birthday you have made this for me.  I love you deeply and can't wait to celebrate the next 30+ birthdays with you by my side!

New Movies

This first clip is Hamilton saying: "Bear" and "Right There".  Mark and I just love how he says those words.  Then he shows off his counting skills...not too shabby.  (He is slightly distracted by the Thomas show on behind me.)

This next clip is Hamilton showing off his spirit for the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Thanks to Aunt Katie
for teaching him this before we could teach 'Sic'em Bears'.  Hamilton thinks calling the hogs is much more fun than sic'ing bears!  (And honestly, I can't blame him.)

Over The Years

Over the years we have had some great times with wonderful friends and family at the Jansen lake house. 

 

This past weekend we went back to the lake house with the Greiners (John, Megan, Ansley, & Christian) and McLeods (Chris, Kimberly, & Mack).  This is something that we have done for a few years now.  Here is a trip down memory lane of these trips...

2005:(Ansley at age 2)

 

2006:

 

 

2007: (some of these were Megan's that she took that she sent me that year)

 

Christian at 6 months and Hamilton at 3 months: (stay tuned for an updated picture of this shot)

 

The whole clan...Mack in womb!

 

2008 we ended up having to cancel our trip due to Mark's double pneumonia illness after his South Africa mission trip.

And here are the 2009 pictures.  Those of you that read Megan's blog already know that I forgot my camera!!  I have no idea how I did that, but it did not get packed in the car.  So these are all Megan's pictures.  (Just trying to give credit where credit is due!)

Float time with Daddy.

 

An updated Hamilton and Christian picture (except now on opposite sides of the picture).  I think they almost look like brothers!

 

Jansen family boat pic...

 

And everyone chillaxin' watching Toy Story 2.  This was Saturday evening so after 2 days on the lake everyone was pretty worn out!!

 Ansley, Hamilton, and Mack...Ansley really enjoyed being the big sister to all the boys this week.  She read to them, helped them share, let us know when there was a problem, explained to us things that had happened...it was great!!  Like a 6 year old spy mother. :)

 

 Hope you enjoyed the Greiner/McLeod/Jansen trip down memory lane.  I promise I'll try not to go 2 weeks without posting again.  I took a fun video of Hamilton today, so I'll try to post that later this week.  We are ramping up our busy GroupLink season - only 4 weeks to go!!  And I've got a slightly big 'life event' coming up in about 2 weeks...the BIG 3-0!! Mark and I are celebrating this weekend so stay tuned...he's got a lot of my favorite things planned (so he tells me).

A Wonderful Week

It was a wonderful week spending time with lots of friends and family.  Some I haven't seen in a long time and some I try to see every time I'm home in Texas.

The night we got there Bubba, Katie, and Hamilton went for a swim after dinner.  Hamilton really enjoys the pool and loves having fun and spending time with his Bubba and his Crazy Aunt KT as you can see by his full-on expression of pure joy! 

 

There were A LOT of planes that flew over during the night and Hamilton loved watching all of them.  This photo sorta cracks me up, but I love how you can see all the beautiful blue eyes on all three of them!

 

Hamilton and his Bubba - I just shake my head.  The things Bubba teaches him are so funny - how to say 'booger' and having Hamilton mimic funny things he does...as you can see below :)

 

We started off the next morning going to see Elaine and her daughter Cana and Evie and her daughter Pippa.  Hamilton did very well around the babies - was gentle and sweet and played mostly independently with his trains and cars while us moms got to chat it up a little bit.  Afterward we headed to lunch all 6 of us.  Girls, it was so much fun to see you and so wonderful to meet your daughters.  Can't wait to catch up again over Christmas and see how much your little girls have grown!

Evie, Hamilton, and Pippa - how cute is this face?

 

Elaine, Cana, me, and Hamilton (he wasn't as upset or grumpy as he looks in this picture...promise!)

 

That afternoon after nap time Hamilton's cousin Jack came over to play for awhile.  He is still talking about 'cuzin Jack'.  They are only 3 months apart and really play well with each other.

 

Wednesday afternoon I went and had lunch with Katie.  That evening I went and had dinner with my high school BFF Jenny (Faulk) Morgan who is pregnant with her first child, a baby boy named Ryder.  I can't wait to meet him when I'm back over Christmas.  Doesn't she just look great with that sweet baby bump?!?!

 

We left to fly to Florida the next morning and meet Mark in West Palm Beach.  Hamilton did great on all his flights this trip.  He loved to sit on his knees and look out the windows and point out all the cars, trucks, houses, pools, trees, clouds, etc. 

We got to West Palm and stayed there that night.  Friday morning we drove to see Uncle Chet and Aunt Dot who are 88 and 85 respectively.  It was so much fun to see them and see Hamilton's interaction with them.  He had never been around anyone older than his grandparents so it was so precious to see that relationship grow.  Chet and Dot have a pet bird, Ralph, that Hamilton got a big kick out of.

 

Here is Dot, Hamilton, and Chet

 

We stayed and had a great lunch and then hopped in the car to make the 4-hour drive to Jacksonville.  We had planned that we would be in the car during Hamilton's nap - he was asleep within 5 minutes of us getting in the car and proceeded to sleep for 2.5 hours!!  Guess we didn't have to worry about him surviving 4 hours in the car!  HA!!  By the time he woke up, ate a snack, we were about 30 min. from the Jackson's home. 

Stacy had done such a great job planning out such a fun weekend.  We decided to take the boys to the beach Saturday morning (Hamilton's first time) and then she had scheduled a babysitter Saturday evening to allow us couples to hang-out awhile.  Sunday morning we got to go to Access Church (a NP partnership) and Stacy was singing back-up during the service which was so fun to see her in her sweet-spot. 

 

 

 

 

Mark flew home Sunday afternoon and I got to stay an extra day for us to have a fun play-date with the boys.  We got home later this evening and now it's back to life...sorta.  Stacy and David thank you so much for your hospitality and a wonderful weekend.  Your house is beautiful and we had such a great time!  Jax is precious and such a sweet kid - Hamilton loved playing with him!

Plans to figure out my next step with work await me this week.  I'm at the lake both weekends so I won't be living out my closet again (instead of a suitcase) until August.  But as busy and slightly crazy as it will be - it will be lots of fun!!

Thanks for taking a journey with me throughout this past week.  It was so much fun!

Father's Day and Fourth of July

Well I thought it would be fun to show you pictures from Father's Day and Fourth of July over the last 2 years - it's amazing to look back and see how much Hamilton has changed!!

Father's Day 2007:

 

Father's Day 2008:

 

Father's Day 2009: (we were at the lake and this was right after we woke up which is why my boys look a little mangled.  Hamilton hasn't quite swallowed his pink yogurt yet either.  I just love this photo!)

 

And Fourth of July 2007:

 

Fourth of July 2008:

  

Fourth of July 2009:

 

I hope you enjoyed your trip down memory lane.  I know I did :)  We spent both Father's Day and Fourth of July up at the lake with Mimi and Papa J this year.  Hamilton enjoyed his boat rides and holding sparklers.  He did really well being still and careful.

Hamilton and I head out tomorrow morning for Texas to visit Emmy, Bubba, Aunt KT, and some other friends.  We will fly to Florida on Thursday afternoon and meet Mark in West Palm Beach.  We are going to visit his great-aunt and uncle for the day.  Then we'll drive to Jacksonville for the weekend to visit David and Stacy Jackson and their son Jax (her blog is on the left).  I used to work with Stacy at North Point.  We are so excited for our little 'vacation' - it will be busy and a lot of traveling, but such a fun time to visit and fellowship with family and friends.

A special thank-you to the Thornton's for letting us borrow their portable DVD player for the trip.  We'll have two 2+ hour plane rides, one 4+ hour drive, and another hour flight home from Jacksonville.  I wanted to take precaution and thought it might come in use!!  I won't be back in town until the 13th - I'll have plenty to share when I return.  Until then...

One last note in regards to Father's Day:  I just wanted to say a quick "I love you" to my dad.  Some of you know my father; some of you don't.  I have the coolest and funniest dad in the world.  He ALWAYS makes me laugh.  He's never quite appropriate and always makes my mom respond in her "Jium" chorus.  But most important, my dad has been my biggest fan my entire life.  He's intentional and loving towards me in every way.  When I was in the hospital and had just giving birth to Hamilton and the family was allowed in the room I mostly got passed with a quick "hi" so that everyone could look and see Hamilton.  Not my dad - he came straight to me, sat down next to me on the bed and asked how I was doing.  Gave me a pat on the hand and a kiss on the head and told me he was proud of me and that he loved me.  I don't think I've ever told my dad how much that meant to me - so publicly (with tears down my cheeks) I'm telling you that story dad.  I love you PBDD - SO MUCH!!  Love, Blossom

And of course I can't leave out the best Dad to my son - Mark.  Mark is an incredible father.  I love witnessing him teach Hamilton things:  burping, farting, spitting in the toilet (found out about this one tonight)...  I guess there's some things about living with two boys I'm still learning.  HA!  But seeing the love out pour from Mark for our son is...well...it's attractive and precious.  Mark is so good with Hamilton - fills in all the holes I leave.  Mark is so encouraging to Hamilton and plays a tad-bit more rough with him than I tend to feel comfortable.  But, that's what dads are for, right?  It's a side that I love discovering in my husband...I never thought he'd have made up a bath-time song for Hamilton that I hear echoing through the house every night.  I especially love when I'm upstairs doing laundry and I hear Hamilton's laughter from downstairs followed by his voice giddily screaming "Da-Dee".  These are the moments I cherish most.  Mark I love you more today than ever.  Thank you for being such a wonderful dad, a fantastic partner and friend - I love you!!

Jansen Family Announcement

Nope...we aren't pregnant...sorry to disappoint

I have decided, with Mark's support, to quit work and join the ministry of being a stay-at-home Mommy.  I have told both my Browns Bridge Community Church and North Point Ministry work teams this week.  I will stay through the August GroupLink (August 27-29) and if needed the October GroupLink (October 24). (I really want my replacement to be able to shadow me through a GroupLink season).  I'm praying we find someone by August - if you know of anyone who might be interested please pass on my info to them.

We are at total peace and I'm very excited about my new job of making a disciple out of my little boy.  I would appreciate your continued prayers throughout this (yet-again) transition period of my life. 

I hope you know how much I have loved serving and working with each of you throughout the last year.    I do promise that I will do everything I can to make sure we leave you in good hands!

And don't worry.  I will still be an active part of volunteering at GroupLink...I haven't missed one in over 6 years - they are just a way of life for me!!

Love y'all,
AJ

So that was the email I sent out to my volunteers earlier today.  I sent out a similar email to my small group this past weekend.  It is really official because I twittered/facebooked earlier today as well.  So now that I'm blogging about it it REALLY is going to happen!!

I'm very excited about what this means for our family - especially for Hamilton.  I'm nervous about the transition and honestly not looking forward to the whole 'finding my replacement/interviewing/hiring/training' riga-ma-roll again.  At least this time I don't have to learn a new job at the same time.  My head is already spinning in regards to activities, 'lessons', adventures, etc. that I can do with Hamilton starting in the fall.  Until then, I am committed to finishing well at church and making the August (and maybe October) GroupLinks the best I can.

I have been employed with North Point Ministries for a little over 5 years - it is an amazing...seriously A-MAZE-ZING place to work.  It's an organization that I have been humbled to be a part of.  The people, all of them, are great to work for and/or with.  Not once has there been a day that I have dreaded working for NPM - I have always taken pleasure in working there.  I don't know if I ever felt 'worthy' to work at NP - somehow I slid under the radar...HA!!  But I do know that I am leaving feeling like I left the different roles I held over the past years (IT Admin. Asst., Resources Admin. Asst., Personal Asst. to the Assoc. Dir. or Ministry Services, and Director of Assimilation) in better shape, running smoother, and hopefully more organized/systematized than when I arrived.  And that, to me, is the equivalent to a successful career.

Do I love my job?  HECK YEAH!!  I'm in a position that is truly the epitome of my dream job.  There is nothing that I am more passionate about, ministry-wise, than groups and getting people connected.  This role was my sweet-spot and I am pleased with the changes and improvements I have been able to make this past year.  Is it hard to leave?  HECK YEAH!!  Is it as hard as I thought it would be?  No - not when I look into the eyes of the little boy I'm leaving for.  Nothing...and I mean NUTH-THING...is worth more to me than my time with him.

So please pray for my replacement and the process of getting that person found, interviewed, screened, hired, and trained.  Specifically pray that this person could be appointed before the August GroupLink in time for them to shadow me.  This would allow me to feel confident leaving by early September.  (Otherwise, it would be the first of November). 

Speaking of that little boy here is a picture I snapped with my phone this evening...I'm tellin' ya this boy is passionate about saying 'CHEEEEEEEZZZZZZZ' when you take his picture.  So funny!!

I'll post my Father's Day and 4th of July pictures after this weekend.  Both holidays were spent at the lake so I thought I would combine them. 

Day Out With Gabi

So back on June 14th I decided to take Gabi for a fun girls day out and give Jana a little break.  She hung out with us for 'Lunch on the Lawn' after church on Sunday (the Greiner's were still in town).  Here's a fun picture of all the kiddos together:

Then after Gabi and I dropped Mark and Hamilton off at home for Hamilton's nap we left for our day together.  I had such a great time!!  There is a place called Sweet & Sassy that is just precious for little girls.  Gabi got a manicure, pedicure, mud mask, and an up-do with lots of jewelry and glitter added for fun.  Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

Afterward, we went to Fuzziwigs for some candy and icees and sat by the fountain to talk.  We then walked around The Avenue (which is one of those outdoor shopping areas) and shopped at Justice (I didn't know Limited Too didn't exist anymore), the Loft, and DSW.  The DSW was a little bit of a walk so I asked Gabi if she wanted to drive instead.  Her response, "No, I want to walk so everyone can see me!"  I love it!  Girls you know that feeling when you are all dolled up and you love people looking at you!

We then went to Barnes & Noble where we sat back in the kid section and she brought me different books to read including this one...can you believe?  Gabi and I just laughed and laughed.  I might just have to get it for her for her birthday next month as our little inside joke.  (Well, I guess it isn't so much an inside joke now that all of you know, but you know what I mean).  Ironically, when we were about to leave a bunch of girls showed up.  The second Sunday of the month they have an American Girl book club meeting.  Gabi was so excited!  Afterward, we met up with her mom in time for them to have dinner together.

It was such a wonderful afternoon full of Gabi telling me all sorts of jokes that I know Sean had to have told her.  We laughed.  We got high on sugar together.  We shopped.  We strutted our stuff.  We didn't talk about Sean - the 'situation' didn't ever really come up.  I think that's how she liked it and how it should've been.  But I'm not going to lie that it wasn't emotional as well.  I'm still having a tough time processing Sean's death especially in relation to Gabi and Jana.  Please pray for them.  Tomorrow, June 26, is Sean's 39th birthday.

I don't know what else to say besides I can't wait for another outing with Gabi!

A Greiner Zoo Weekend

So if you read my blog you know that we are friends with the Greiners who moved to Knoxville a couple years ago.  They came in town last weekend for a fun weekend.  The girls went out for a night out on the town together Friday night.  We went shopping, out to dinner, and out again for dessert.  Here we are before we head out:

Then Saturday we took our families to the zoo.  It was such a fun day!!  I noticed a trend of pictures taken from the zoo - they are mostly of the back of our heads, but they are still memories of a wonderful afternoon. 

Hamilton and Mack looking at the Chimps: 

 

Ansley, Hamilton, and Christian looking at the Zebras:

 

Christian and Hamilton both waving to the Otters:

 

Hamilton's ride through the zoo:

 

The Petting Zoo:

 

And the running began again :)

 

And the last shot I want to share is this one...When we went to go see the elephants they weren't out so before we left I decided to run up and see if they had come out.  Well there was one so I called for Hamilton and he came running to me.  I didn't realize it until I was going through the photos that Mark captured it.  There is nothing like the feeling of your child screaming your name in complete joy and running towards you.

 

After the zoo the girls took the kiddos back home for a nap while the guys went to Six Flags.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The guys went to ride roller coasters - not my idea of a great time.  Once the kids woke up we had Chick-fil-a for dinner and went to the pool at the McLeod's neighborhood.  Needless to say all the kids (and guys) slept well that evening.

Mack, Christian, and Hamilton in the kiddy pool.  Is it me, or could these guys be brothers?

 

Greiner's and McLeod's we love y'all and love being a part of your lives.  We can't wait to have even more quality time at the end of July at the lake house together - there's nothing like living under the same roof for a couple of days that bonds people together better.  All of you make our lives richer and I'm better for knowing you. 

Small Group Outings

Back in May (while Hamilton was in Texas) our small group had our last meeting before taking the summer off (June and July).  We decided to go out for a picnic. 

Here's a group shot (minus Hamilton):

 

And I can't not include this cute photo of McKenzie feeding David his dinner...Jill I think she's ready to be a big sister :).  I love how she's opening her mouth too - I remember finding myself doing that when we fed Hamilton baby food:

And then a couple weeks ago our small group co-leaders had a low-country boil at their house.  It was great food and great fellowship.  The kiddos loved playing together (more like running and chasing each other).  McKenzie and Hamilton had a lot of fun and we loved taking pictures of them.  When we told them to hold hands, Hamilton thought it was the funniest thing and so did we!  If you think my son recently took a bath in these pictures you are wrong.  He just sweats A LOT!  It's crazy - he can run in a circle and his hair's already wet and his little cheeks are rosy red.  Not really for sure what that means, but I do know his Bubba and Papa are the same way!

Thanks Jake and Karin for hosting a great evening!  We had so much fun!!

Here are all the kids:

 

Love this one:

 

And then the running began - and yes he never put down King, Lighting McQueen, or Thomas the entire evening - except to hold her hand of course:

 

 

The Great Date Experiment

Are you looking for a fun way to re-connect with your spouse?  Would some creative date-nights excite you?  Then you need to check out the following website:

http://www.marriedlifeonline.com/greatdate_other.jsp for...

 

Mark I have done the first three and they are so much fun.  We even do the little parts that might seem corny and we've never laughed so hard.  (Oh yeah...I screamed 'My husband's hot!' loudly in Wal-Mart!!)

So check it out and let me know if you decide to participate in the Great Date Experiment.  You may just feel compelled to pass the link on too!

Sean Strickland

Please take a moment to read this:  Sean Strickland

It is with such a heavy heart that I am writing this post.  Sean Strickland, my previous boss and who's daughter, Gabi, I used to babysit, died in a car accident yesterday afternoon.  You can read the newspaper article here:  http://www.forsythnews.com/news/article/2664/

This will now be the 5th death and 4th funeral I've attended in the last year - all five pre-mature deaths; four of someone I work with.  Michael Colwell last May due to Melanoma cancer, Mindy Parrish last summer of a brain aneurysm while on a cruise ship, Brooks Tucker, son of Ashly Tucker, last fall before his first breath on this earth, Jarod Faulk in a motorcycle accident this past Christmas and now Sean. 

I am really having a hard time grasping the reality of this, I am still in complete denial.  Sean will be 39 at the end of June.  Father's day right around the corner.  His daughter, Gabi, will be 8 in July. 

Sean was one of the funniest guys I've ever known.  He was totally quirky and strange, but totally cool.  He wore orange converse or orange crocks to work.  He is the most intentional manager I've ever worked underneath.  He was absolutely brilliant in his work in IT, but not your typical IT nerd.  He was an amazing cook.  Could multi-task like no other.  A fabulous husband and father.  He loved our God purely and honestly and openly.  He is someone who didn't just bump into people throughout his life, he impacted people and made them better for knowing him.

Sean was a man who suffered a lot in his life through multiple struggles and consequences.  His wife, Jana, loved him, stood by him, and supported him through the 11 years they were married.  Jana is an amazing interior decorator (she helped me pick out all my fabrics and paint colors) and loves planning/hosting a great party.  Gabi, his daughter, is a firecracker of a spirit and will keep you on your toes.  She is a ball full of energy and strong will, and yet so obedient and sweet-natured.  I loved the time I had with her babysitting her almost on a weekly basis for two years before Hamilton was born.

Michael, Mindy, Brooks, and Jarod welcomed another NP soul in heaven yesterday.  I feel comfort knowing that Sean will feel no more pain, suffering, heartache, guilt, or torment over his battles, but that he is truly rejoicing and praising his heavenly father who died the death of a cross to take all those things away from him.  Sean is having a party that we are truly jealous of right now.  

I'm praying for Jana and Gabi as they are starting a new chapter in their lives as a family of two.  I pray for Jana as she learns how to be a single parent and how to best support Gabi through this.  I pray for Gabi.  Mostly, I pray for her faith.  She doesn't have 30 years to look back on to understand what it means to trust God in hardship and understand who He is.  She has lived a lot of life in her short 8 years on this earth and I pray that she is able to be comforted by God through this.  That she is able to find his goodness and mercy.  Gabi was baptized last year - her faith is so young.  She is so young.  My heart is so heavy for her. 

The service is being held on Monday at North Point at 11:00.  I plead for your prayers for this family right now.  I am broken-hearted!

Occasionally I come across times like these where I remember our hard drive crashing and us losing a lot of photos that I really wish I could have back.  This is one of those days because I am remembering a lot of pictures that were taken at my baby shower at the Strickland home and now I don't have them.  The ones I do have are ones I posted on my blog at that time.

Here is Sean and Mark:

This is me and Gabi at the shower:

This is me and hostesses...Allison Russell, me, Jana Strickland, and Gidget Johnson

Our Porch

Mark and I have been working on getting our porch built for awhile now.  You might remember last October we had our porch extended.  For Christmas my parents helped us purchase our patio furniture.  In April we finally saved up enough to build the actual porch.  We L-O-V-E it!!  It has been such a great addition to not just our house, but our home!  We also did some landscape updating at the same time, including re-sodding our backyard (see before and after below).  We still will be having a painter and electrician to come out and stain it and add a fan/light kit.  But overall, it's our new favorite hang-out as a family.  

The first couple of pictures are of the construction process and what a mess our backyard was (not to mention the crazy events that occurred the day of - we had the county come out and suspend construction and threaten to issue us a citation for not getting the proper permits).  The last is the final product picture.

 

 

Before landscaping...the picture of the backyard the grass is just plain dead.  The picture of the front yard was taken when the grass was still dormant from the winter b/f the green of Spring.

 

Mostly we added some Daylillies and a Crete Myrtle tree in the front and transplanted some other plants.  It looks really drastic since everything is 'spring green' now too.

 

Family Reunion

Over Memorial Day we went to Brownwood, TX, to my cousin's lake house for a Tucker Family Reunion.  This is my mom's side of the family which is now 33 people.  My grandmother, Nana (who passed away from Leukemia in April of 1998 - WOW has it been that long?), it is her four children and their families that we 'reunioned' with.  It was quite the house of family, but so great to see and catch up with them all.  I know what you are thinking - there weren't any boots or belt buckles, mostly just flip-flops and thick Texas accents.  Unfortunately, the weather was pretty gloomy and rainy so we didn't get to do as much of the lake activities as we would've liked, but the sun did come out long enough for Hamilton to get his first ride on a Sea-Doo with Daddy.  You really have to be a card player to be a part of our family, luckily Mark is.  The guys played poker most of the weekend and the girls played anything from Apples to Apples, to Back-Alley Gin, to 4-6-5/LCR Dice.  That last one, the dice game, was lots of fun!!  My cousin Christi is actually in a monthly group in Houston, sorta like Bunco - I'm thinking about starting a group.  Anyone interested?  You win cash, rather than sometimes-iffy gifts.

I'm so thankful for the gift of family - God has truly blessed Mark and I with amazing family.  The month of May was a vivid example of that through his family wedding in CO and my reunion in TX.  Although we don't get to see each other that often it's always amazing fellowship when we do get to connect.

Nana's four children:  Mom (Mary), Jot, Brenda, and Linda

Nana's ten grandchildren:(for those of you that knew me when I got married, can you believe that the girl next to me was my flower-girl!?!  I can't believe Kaitlyn is 15!!) 

Nana's nine (so-far) great-grandchildren:

The whole family: (basically everyone above combined plus what we call the 'out-laws' - the married-in folk)

 

The Jansen Family

 

The Hamilton Family...we don't really take pictures of just the four of us much any more - Mark and Hamilton were out on their Sea-Doo ride when we took this:

 

Hamilton's new-found favorite relative was my cousin Wes's child, Cayli (which Hamilton pronounced 'Kay-La').  He asked for her constantly and smiled and giggled every time he was around her.  Here's a sweet pic of Hamilton giving her a kiss on the cheek:

 

And finally Sea-Doo & lake pictures of Hamilton and Mark together:

 

School Pictures

I didn't mean for these posts to have Hamilton in the same outfit...oh well...

I'll let you be the judge whether you think his first school pictures turned out good...

 

 

 

 

Can we say a bit grumpy maybe.  However, poor thing it wasn't his fault.  He fell down outside and you can sorta see his nose, cheek, and forehead in that last picture.  Fell straight on his face.  So he really wanted Nina to be loving on him right now instead of posing for pictures.  Here is the class picture...he finally got to be close to Nina.

 

It sorta looks like the whole class isn't happy...I have my own opinion about this photographer as to the reason...but I'll just leave it at that.