More Prayer Needed...

This post is to specifically ask for prayer. I have a friend who lost her sister in a tragic car accident two days ago. Her two children survived and she did not. I can't fathom the pain their family is going through. Her name was Mandy and she was a young mommy of two precious little kids. She was pulling out from the kids' school and a was hit by an oncoming truck. Her children woke up yesterday without their mommy. I know most of you who read this blog are indeed "mommies" and I am sure you are thinking the same as I am...I would NEVER want my babies to wake up without me.

This reminds us that everything here on Earth is so temporary..even our lives..all the STUFF we have, our families, friends, the most important and valued object you own....is all TEMPORARY! I'm sure it doesn't ease the pain at all when you encounter a tragedy of such, but reality nonetheless. God paints the picture clear for us. Earth is not our final resting place.


So if you woke up today and want to be "stressed out" with all the HOLIDAY HYPE..don't be. Go to your children and husbands, your loved ones, and hug them. Tell them you love them and savor the moments you have each day with your family because we are not guaranteed tomorrow!

Please say a prayer for these children who are left without their mommy (one week before Christmas). I don't have the names of the children but their mommy's name was Mandy Sissin (not sure if I spelled her name correctly) but God knows this family and He planned this according to HIS purpose. My heart hurts for this family.

Thanks blogger friends for your prayers.

Dana

Here are a few pictures from last week. I am falling behind on my updates...so sorry, but I have been so incredibly busy with holiday preparations and "life" in general. I don't have much time right this minute either, but I did want to share a couple of new pictures of the boys STANDING. I have so many more, but here are two favorite spots. One is the kitchen chairs and the other is the kitchen cabinets. The funniest is when they pull up onto the kitchen cabinet and hold on to the handle of the drawers and the drawer opens with them still hanging on...oh yeah and they LOVE to stand at the dishwasher and oven as well...and LICK it...! Once upon a year ago I tried to clean fingerprints off the stainless steel surface of our fridge and dishwasher...ha ha ha!! That obsession has officially gone into hibernation until the boys go to middle school. Between their slobbering tongues and mushy Ritz cracker filled fingers and of course Jenna's sticky filmed fingers, I have given up on a shiny stainless steel finish around these parts!!!

Hope everyone is well. I hear James Daniel calling me from upstairs. Better go rescue the little rascal before he figures out how to climb out of his bed...I guarantee JAMES will be the first to figure that one out...:)




Here is a picture of the boys playing in their tunnel/tent they got from Mamaw and Papa for their birthday. John David crawls all through it..loves it and even will chase after Jenna...James however, HATES the inside of the tunnel and crawls around the entire thing laughing all the while. He WILL NOT go inside of it and if I put him inside of it, he turns right around and speed crawls out. Too funny!

VIDEO: John David found his head and James is dancing!

John David figured out "where his head is"...we showed him one night sitting at the dinner table how to pat the side of his head when we ask, "John David, where is your head?"...I finally got him to do it on video to share with you guys. He is such a good listener. John David pays attention well and is really starting to mimic us when we ask him to do his "tricks"...








James Daniel has been "dancing" for a couple of weeks now. I finally caught him swaying to the music one afternoon waiting in the van at the bus stop. I turned on the girls' bible verse songs and Jenna continuously asked me to "turn it up momma!" so when I did, James began dancing...I think he will be the musically inclined one.

A VERY SPECIAL VISIT!

My dad and stepmom flew in from Price, Utah last weekend for the boys' birthday party and a week long visit. We had the best time with them. I thoroughly enjoyed having them around to help out with kids. The girls were smitten and of course spoilt by them both. For those of you who don't know, my dad was origianlly going to be called "grampy", but Claire McKinley decided when she was about a year old that "becky" was more appropriate. Now the entire family knows him best as "BECKY" and of course he wouldn't have it any other way.


This year's visit was a bit different from last year. Last year we spent much of our days traveling back and forth to Brookwood Hospital to visit with James and John David. This year we were able to enjoy their visit to the fullest and the girls were completely blissful just hanging out with them riding around in their rental car and enjoying the simple pleasures in life, like stopping at the gas station for chocolate chip cookies and gum.
Becky and Rosey picked the girls up from school each day, took them ice-skating, bowling, bought Jenna a big girl bed, put together the girls' playhouse, repaired the flat tire on our mountain bike (which by the way, I plan on using to train for a triathalon one day), and even kept the boys and Jenna one morning while I had some time all to myself. In the kitchen we prepared pancakes one night, Rosey passed down the family secret recipe of how to make Laban (Lebanese yogurt) and even bought me my very own "crock" to prepare it in. The memories we were left with will last forever. We have beautiful pictures and stories to tell of their visit and my children squeal with such joy when we remember them.

Thank you Dad and Rosey for your unconditional love and your infatuation with our children. We love you guys so much and the girls are already planning the next visit...if I remember correctly, Jenna asked me today if Becky and Rosey were in the airplane we saw in the sky today and asked if you were coming tonight to make pancakes again.






















We took Becky and Rosey out to dinner at Dales Southern Grill. Dad had hamburger steak with grilled onions and Rosey had salmon patties. The girls all ate veggies (yeah right, mac and cheese and mash potatoes!) and we topped off the meal with strawberry shortcake (Rosey and the girls) and Dad had bread pudding.

Then Becky and Rosey took the girls ice-skating. Going ice-skating is a tradition with the girls when my dad comes to visit. They made memories to last a life times.






















Claire and Jenna bowling with Becky and Rosey.
Boys eating Oreo cookies for the first time.....bad idea at 7pm..they were up til 12!!!! BTW- those of you who know me well, know that I would never allow my girls to eat that junk at such an early age, but my boys are a whole different story..haha!
Boys riding their car together...too sweet!
All five kids riding "horsey" with Becky.






















Dad and Rosey bought Jenna her first real big girl bed. Jenna has been sleeping in the floor on her baby bed mattress for a few months now...well not any more thanks to her "Becky and Rosey" who made sure to get her a beautiful white iron bed (just like Ellie's) and complete with "princess sheets". Jenna is so proud of her bed and Rob and I are so grateful for their generous gift. My dad has now bought each of our girls their "first" big girl beds. What a special way to always remember him each night they lay down to sleep.

Dad and Rosey also put together the playhouse loft for the girls. We were completely blessed by receiving this playhouse from one of eye technicians at Rob's office. Her name is Christy and her girls have outgrown it so she passed it down to us. Obviously it has been a HUGE hit with our girls. My favorite quote is from Ellie, when they arrived home from school and jumped out of the car, Ellie said, "NO WAY!" really loudly. They all three began jumping up and down screaming. It is adorable and I am sure they will make lasting memories for sure.





















Here is our last night together with Becky and Rosey. The girls were so thrilled with the new pj's and special books they received from them. They have serioiusly worn their new footie pajamas every night since.

Happy Birthday Miracle Babies!

One year ago today, God blessed us in such a miraculous way. James and John David were delivered at 4:11 pm on December 11, 2008. We couldn't have even imagined the joy these two little miracles would bring our family. They are here and thriving wonderfully all because so many amazing people prayed for them. I told my stepmom, Rosey, this morning that a year ago we were thrilled that they "survived" to be delivered, but we didn't know what the future would hold for them as far as their health was concerned. Well, God has once again faithfully delivered our prayer request. These little men are growing and developing better than expected. Our family truly is grateful every single day as we watch these little guys grow and learn.


As of today, here is a list of what "the boys" are doing!
*crawling EVERYWHERE...inside and out of anything they fit through
*pulling up on EVERYTHING..including my leg as I am trying to walk through the kitchen to tidy up.
*starting to "let go" while standing up and reaching from one object to another. *have mastered the meaning of "NO" and understand it fully... *plays patty cake with you if you start the game..
*James sways back and forth when he hears any music or rhythmic beat..
*feeding themselves bites of food and even starting to take bites of food from crackers by themselves...this is of course EXTREMELY messy...but cute nonetheless... *pitching fits in an adorable toddler kind of way (at least that shows me they "understand" their wants and want nots!)
*babbling like crazy, "ma ma", "da da", "bye bye" and James will even mimic you back with "eeeeeee" if you speak to him.
*signing "more" with their hands when they are eating...this one trick is my favorite ..too cute!

They are physically and cognatively doing wonderful. Our PT says there really isn't a reason to visit with them, but of course I INSIST that they be followed. I told her last visit that the boys can't be dismissed from early intervention because they refuse to take a bottle or cup and until they graduate from my boob, they can't graduate from early intervention..haha!


We are proud of our guys.

We will NEVER forget the road they traveled down to get here.

We will ALWAYS give God ALL the praise and glory and honor in all that these boys do.

We thank you all for your prayers and support over this past year.

We are humbled by the grace in which God has poured on the Pate Family in 2009.

I guess I will end this post with one thought. If you have ever wondered in life whether you really are in control of it all, please use me as an example. One year ago I delivered baby boys that weren't given much of a chance to survive and a whole host of problems to foresee. I had thought I had my life "right where I wanted it" before this journey took place. I thought I had it "all under control" until my life spun completely "out of control" ..my control that is. I am forever grateful that God used my life and the lives of my baby boys to reach me and many others in a very deep and profound way. I will live my life honoring HIM and sharing our story for all who will listen. Not for my own gratification...but HIS!


Happy Birthday James Daniel and John David...You are treasured in a special way!

Just Pictures...Enjoy...

Boys Birthday Party

We enjoyed a beautiful birthday celebration with our precious miracle boys Saturday night. Our family and friends gathered together to celebrate the birth of these boys a year ago. It is so hard to believe that one year has passed us by, however, it is not hard to remember the emotions and events that led up to their birth one year ago.

Our celebration was perfect..it was total kiddo chaos! What better way to celebrate the lives of two precious little babies than to have FOURTEEN kids (little kids, under the age of 9) all running through Mamaw's house (finely decorated and spotless house), covered in electric blue and neon green icing, pizza sauce fingers and faces, with screaming and shouting and some occasional crying...it was great!

Thanks to my obvious poor planning, we endured the background sounds of "ROLL TIDE" since the party started at 5:00pm (right in the middle of the SEC Championship Game!)..go figure!

The boys recieved wonderful gifts and many loves and hugs. My dad and stepmom were able to fly in from Utah for the celebration and that of course meant a great deal to us. I know the boys will look back on the early days of their lives and think, "Wow, lots of people really liked us"

I will post pictures later, actually I didn't take any pictures so I will hopefully download some from the grandmas and friends who were snapping pics for me...I was a tad bit busy and overwhelmed with twin babies and 10 toddlers:)