The Sky's the Limit

9 Months!

2012-02-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been 9 months! I could have had a whole other baby by now. Michael is growing big and strong by the day. He is into everything and especially things that are not toys such as remotes, cabinets, coasters, lamps, iphones, dog kennels, dish washers, etc. It must be exciting to discover the world for the first time. It is fun to see his curiosity and his little wheels spinning. Here are some 9 month facts:

We haven't been to the dr. since his 6 month check up but according to our rough calculations he weighs about 23lbs and his height is unknown. He wiggles too much to get a good measure.
He is wearing mostly 12 month clothes.
He graduated from his infant car seat to a convertible seat already. What was I thinking getting a 22lb limit infant seat? He blew threw that one!
He is crawling like a champ, pulling up, he stood up once on his own, and he can climb up stairs.
He can turn some of his toys "on" by pushing a button and he can put (toy) balls in the right hole to watch them go down a maze.
He likes to eat! I can't sit down to eat without him crawling up to me for a bite. He has liked pretty much everything he's tried, maybe not always initially sometimes, but he eventually warms up to it.
He still nurses for every meal except dinner.
He said "mamma" for a couple days and now everything is "dadda," "dad," or "dadadada." He also says "ba" when I hand him a tennis ball and he tries to to make a "moo" sound but it sounds more like a low "ooooooooooo"
When I say "no" and shake my head he shakes his head back at me sometimes (cute).
He likes banging on stuff and making loud noises.
He still only has his bottom two front teeth, but I think the top two may be coming in any day now. He has an "eruption cyst" on the top right which according to the trusty internet is pretty harmless but sometimes happens before the tooth comes in.
He has some separation anxiety from me, especially when we drop him off at the church nursery. They say he calms down after a couple minutes but it is hard to leave him when he is crying like he is going to die if I leave him (I think I might be projecting my feelings). He usually does a lot better with his grandparents and people he sees more often.
I'm afraid to say it because I don't want to jinx it, but he has been a healthy boy. He has only had a couple colds and those pretty much just go away on their own.

You are a sweet, curious, wiggly, silly, loud, little man and you have captured our hearts. We love you very much Mr. Michael!

I couldn't decide on which pic, so I put both :-)

He doesn't stay in the sitting position very long these days...

Christmas Fun!

2012-01-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe all the holiday festivities have come and gone... It sure seems like a lot of preparation and then it is all over so fast! We had a special Christmas this year as it was the first with a little one. He did not get what all the fuss was about, but it was still fun to watch him just be a baby. My parents came to Amarillo, so we celebrated with them and Gabe's family. We were just missing Kevin and Kristen :-( We had Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning brunch at our house and then went to Gabe's parent's house for Christmas dinner. Michael was of course spoiled with lots of cute outfits and toys, and Gabe and I were also spoiled with lots of big kid toys. Our families are sure generous!
Even though Christmas is over commercialized and turned into a major indulgence of all the senses with all the food, decorations, presents, ect... I still love it all. I love that it promotes generosity towards others, we have to intentionally think about others and what special gifts we can give them. I love that family and friends get together to feast and be merry. I love that we take time to think about what is truly important. I love that it is a holiday that the world knows about and whether they choose to believe or not- it is celebration of the birth of our Savior - the best gift of all. I hope the holidays were a special time for all of you. Here are some highlights from ours...

The Decorations

The Uglies

We had an Ugly Sweater Party with our small group at our house. However, there was a shortage of sweaters this year, so people mostly just came ugly :-)

The Family

Our sweet friend Cynthia came over to take some Christmas card pics (which were sent out a little late this year due to our cards getting stuck in New Mexico because of a snow storm). These are a few of my favorites:

And then there was this one... can we say heart attack! Cynthia was screaming as she took the picture and luckily I was around the corner so I didn't see it happen. Gabe thought it was really funny... me, not so much.

Christmas Baby

I could tell from my pictures what my focus was on this year. We didn't get a whole lot of pics of the adults, but there were plenty of Michael :-) Here are some favorites...

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I wish you much peace, love, joy and adventure in 2012!

8 Months!

2012-01-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have not been very good about keeping up with this blogging thing. I am now at a one post per month pace. I hope to post more in 2012, but I'm not making any promises that I will more than likely break. December is a busy month! We celebrated Christmas here with my parents, Gabe's family and Gabe's Grandma. There will be a Christmas post to come... soon... I hope... but for now I will tell you about Michael's new accomplishments/milestones...

According to our scale he now weighs 22 lbs and looks to be about 28 inches long. He is passing up many 1 year olds that we know.
He is sleeping pretty consistently from 8:30pm-7:00am and he takes 2 nap 1hr-2hr naps during the day, one at 10:30 and one at 3:30.
He is crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything and walking while holding on to stuff.
He can give high fives.
He is starting to ham it up a little for the camera (see below).
He dances all the time. Anytime there is music, singing, clapping, etc it is as though he can't help himself, the music takes over and he just can't help but rocks back and forth to the beat. It is pretty cute. This may be due to playing a lot of "Just Dance" on the Wii while I was pregnant.
He tolerates pretty much any food (so far), but rocks back and forth when he is eating something he really likes. (His dad did this too when he was a wee one, which is kind of strange. Is there a happy food dance gene?)
He will roll the ball to Hugo (brother dog) and Sadie (his auntie dog)
He loves... doggies, his grandparents, his uncles and aunties, puffs, carrot souffle (discovered this on Christmas), eating, talking Carl (its an app), his talking bear, any toy that he can stand up to play with, his mommy and daddy, music, dancing, and baths.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Everyday his personality comes out a little more. It is a joy to go into his room after a nap and see his little smiling face. His curiosity and unabashed emotions are a wonder to watch. He is a precious gift from above and I am so grateful that I get to be his momma. We love you Mr. Michael!

Here he is hamming it up for the camera...

7 Months!

2011-12-04T10:03:00.001-08:00

This post is a little late. I blame it on the turkey coma I have been in since Thanksgiving. That and I had a 40 page group proposal to write for my class that was due last week. I am thankful to be done with that! Here are some other things I am thankful for...

Our little turkey is 7 months old! We tackled quite a few milestones this month. Here are some highlights:

He is officially mobile! He started crawling about a week after his 6 month mark.
He is eating his veggies! After he got over experiencing a new texture, he has begun to enjoy his veggies. Which brings us to the next milestone...
His first solid poopies! Your welcome. I know you are glad I shared.
He now has 2 teeth! The bottom right one came in and then over Thanksgiving his tooth got a neighbor.
He started pulling up to a standing position. Now, nothing on the coffee table is safe. Just today he pulled a whole cup of tea off and onto his face. Luckily, the tea was cold. I'm super thankful I could learn this lesson with cold tea!
He's started saying "dadadada" and "babababa."
He likes to yell and wave both of his arms in a helicopter like motion.
He is overall a fun and happy little guy.

Here is our little 7 month-old turkey...

And we are off...

Go turkey, go, gobble, gobble, gobble...

This cute turkey outfit was made by his auntie Beth. He actually got 2 turkey outfits because his other Auntie Kristen saw the idea on Pinterest too. She made him another one without knowing his other Auntie had the same idea. Great Aunts think alike!

Here we are in our other turkey outfits right before we ran in the 8 mile Turkey Trot! We all ran the whole thing, finished under 1 hour and 30 minutes, and none of us trained. Needless to say we were all a little stiff later, but we earned our turkey dinner!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! We have lots to be thankful for this year. We are especially thankful for all our friends and family! Much love to all of you... you know who you are... yeah, even you.

Eating His Vegetables!

2011-12-04T09:44:00.001-08:00

The craziest thing happened... Michael started eating his vegetables and he grew some major hair! And I thought he was going to be a blond...

Fall Photos

2011-11-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here are just some cute recent pics...

He likes to roll all the way over on the changing table.

He is sitting up like a big boy!

We dressed up for Halloween... Here is our Super Baby!

We also went to the pumpkin patch to snap some photos.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Beautiful You

2011-11-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Below are the lyrics of the song "More Beautiful You" by Johnny Diaz. The song expresses so perfectly an important message that I want my children to know and believe. They are beautiful just the way God made them. I probably heard this when I was younger, but I sure did not believe it until much later in life and after many mistakes. Living up to unfair standards set by the world, trying to find love and acceptance in empty places, and constantly being unsatisfied with how God made me led to lots of heartbreaks and mistakes. I hope to spare my children the heart ache, and instead believe what I have come to know, God has perfectly crafted me into a unique masterpiece in order to fulfill a purpose that only I can do.

"More Beautiful You" Johnny Diaz

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight, her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight

Well, little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care, your skin, your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but He's got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well, little girl twenty one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And He'll treat you like the jewel you are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you, more beautiful you

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late, you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear, they can all be washed away

By the one who's strong, can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears, dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light, He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

That there could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops, they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
There could never be a more beautiful you

6 Months!

2011-11-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Michael is already a half a year old yet, he is only a half a year old. The time goes by so fast, but there is still so much to enjoy. I have to remind myself not to wish for the next stage, but to enjoy the fleeting, precious moments that I have in the present. It has been a joy to watch this boy grow. Here are some highlights:

Weight: 19 pounds, 3 ounces

Height: 28 inches

He is sitting up on his own, but occasionally falls over.

He gets up on all fours often and rocks back and forth. He is about to crawl at any moment!

He grabs for everything!

He tried a couple bites of avocado and rice cereal. Neither seems to be his favorite, but it causes him to make really funny faces so we will keep trying :-)

He is sleeping pretty regularly from 8:30-5:30, feeds, and then goes back to sleep until 8:30.

He is very vocal and has learned to turn up the volume.

His go to sounds are "bob bob bob" and he has said "mommmama" which I'm pretty sure is a coincidence, but I can pretend he's saying, "mom."

He gets very giggly when tired.

He is interested in everything that is going on around him.

He loves watching Hugo get the ball.

He flew for the second time and he played peekaboo with the neighbor on the way there and slept the whole way back. He is a great little traveler.

And here he is, the moment you've been waiting for... the man of the hour... the piece de resistance...

Mr. Michael Skypala!!

25 Prayers for My Husband

2011-10-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and usually it just fuels my materialism, but I found this sweet "pin" and thought I would share because we all know our husbands need prayer :-) (The original link came from here- http://seejamieblog.com/2011/09/25-prayers-for-my-husband/ check it out, she has a printer friendly version) I know praying for Gabe is important and things just seem to line up better when I do, but sometimes my prayers seem unfocused, repetitive, and lacking. This list helps touch on many things that I sometimes neglect to pray for. I hope it can encourage someone else like it did for me!

25 Prayers for My Husband

I pray…

that he continues to grow spiritually through the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and quiet times. (Proverbs 4:23)
that his relationship with God will bear much fruit in his life, and that he will be a man who seeks wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 3:7, Psalm 112:1)
that he would walk humbly with God, and would always be convicted quickly about any sin in his life. (Micah 6:8)
that he will continue to grow as the leader of our family, and that God would be glorified in our marriage. (Ephesians 5:25-29)
that he would have a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart, and that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Proverbs 15:33)
that he would always look to the way of escape from any kind of temptation, and that he would rely on God to remain faithful to our marriage, and to God. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
that he would safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex, and this heart would pure and undivided in his commitment to me and to our marriage. (Proverbs 6:23-25)
that he would continue to be able to provide for our family, and that he will not become discouraged by doing work he does not enjoy.
that money would never become a source of discord in our family, and that we would be wise in handling finances and in stewardship. (Luke 16:13)
that the words he speaks will build our family, and reflect a heart of love. (Proverbs 18:21)
that our physical intimacy would be a positive reflection of selfless love. (Song of Solomon 7:10)
that the men in his life would encourage his accountability before God, and that he would be a godly influence on his friends and coworkers. (Proverbs 13:20, 27:17)
that he would choose healthy foods and activities, and honor God by taking the best possible care of his body as the tabernacle of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
for his strength — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. (Ephesians 3:16)
for him to have wisdom and discernment in training/disciplining our children, and that You would enable him to love them unconditionally. (Ephesians 6:4)
that he would always have an eternal perspective, and make the most of however much time he has in this life. (Ephesians 5:16)
that he would always be a man of peace, who allows the Holy Spirit to lead his responses in all situations. (Romans 14:19)
that he would have a balanced life in regards to work and play, and that he would submit his schedule to You. (Proverbs 16:9)
for him to find favor with the Lord, but also with people he knows and interacts with. (Luke 2:52)
that he would enjoy peace and refreshment in his relationship with the Lord. (Psalm 16:11)
that he would always be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will protect our family from Satan’s attacks. (Ephesians 6:13)
that he would be a man of prayer, seeking God in purposeful ways. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
that he will serve God and others with pure motives, and that God would be glorified in everything he does. (Colossians 3:23-24)
that he would offer all this dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those that bring God glory, and that count for eternity. (Jeremiah 29:11)
that he will recognize the lies of the enemy in his life, and that he will always be guided by the Truth. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

What We've Been Up To

2011-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

We have been having fun over the last couple months. Here are some things that we have been doing...

Gabe and I completed our first sprint triathlon (400 meter swim, 9 mile bike, 5K run). It was the annual Tri To Make a Difference event. The Lynch's are the sweet family who began this race. They were inspired by their precious son, Thomas, who was born with a rare seizure disorder. 100% of the proceeds benefit the children's miracle network. It was a great event and I will definitely do it again!

The Lynch's

And by the way... I finished in 1 hr 20 minutes; Gabe's time 1 hr 25 minutes. Yep, that's right, I beat Gabe. Better luck next year babe ;-)

Other news... Michael has been learning to help out around the house. Rent is only free for so long...

He has also been charming the ladies...

Hanging out with friends...

Hanging out with some out of town visitors...

My mom and her twin sister came to visit and then my dad showed up to surprise us for a short 8 hour visit. It was a great surprise and I think my mom really loved it since it was their 35th wedding anniversary! Happy 35 years to my parents!

We also went hiking in the canyon. Michael liked the hike, but he loved slurping on the Camelback even more.

I also turned 21 (plus or minus 10 or so years) so I got some really great gifts and among them was a really cool new toy, jogger/bike trailer from Gabe's parents. Here's a pic of Michael all strapped in and ready to go.

It was a great birthday and getting older did not even bother me because I am so at peace and happy with where I am in life right now. God has blessed me with so many answered prayers. I have a sweet baby boy, a loving husband, great friends, and a wonderful family... I have much more than I deserve!

Because I have been given much, I too must give.

Grace Crowell

5 Months!

2011-10-01T15:55:00.000-07:00

Watching a baby grow is so entertaining. Every day there seems to be little changes. Michael is already five months and here are some highlights of his life so far:

He is grabbing things like a champ!
He is rolling over which has resulted in him now sleeping on his stomach.
He is sleeping pretty regularly from 9:00-7:30 give or take a half hour.
He loves his bouncer and looks like he is riding a wild bull when he really gets going.
He loves watching the doggies and laughs when Sadie catches the ball.
He is interested in everything and is looking around constantly.
He gives shy smiles and big smiles.
He is a mostly happy, easy going baby.

Here he is in his grown up 5 month old outfit :-)

We love you Mr. Michael! These last five months have been the best!

Dallas Visit

2011-09-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Gabe and I went to Dallas last week and stayed for a long time! Here is the recap in pictures:

Before we left, Gabe grew a mustache for the bachelor party:

While Gabe and his mustache went to a ranch for the bachelor party, Michael and I went on lots of play dates!

I got to see my best friend from high school and her very new, only one week old baby, Brayden Andrew Hilton. Here is a pic of Michael and Brayden. I have a feeling they will be good buds in the future!

Michael borrowed Brayden's hat for a cute pic:

Then we met up with some more friends for another play date. I went to high school, played volleyball with, and maybe even got into a little trouble with these two gals and now we are all grown up and have babies:

Katie and Brayden (1 week), Brooke and Michael (4 months), Becca and Ryan (14 months)

Here is a pic of the play date group. We had lots of fun playing with our friends!

Left to Right (Stacey and Grady, Brooke and Michael, Katie and Brayden, Dana and Sophie, Becca and Ryan)

I also got to meet up with some friends from SMU, my alma mater, and their babies. Nina on the left is expecting a girl in February, Kristin had Luke 2 weeks before Michael, and Kelly had Elliot in last February. I guess it is the time to reproduce. It was fun to catch up although Michael had a minor melt down. Skipping naps makes Mikey mad and he was sure to let me know. Oh well. I guess he can't be perfect all the time ;-)

Left to Right (Nina and baby bump, Kristin and Luke, Kelley and Elliot, Brooke and Michael)

We also made the drive out to Desoto to see Great-Grammy.

Great Grammy and Michael

I also got to see my friend, Nova, that I worked with at my first job out of college, and a couple from our old small group and their kiddos but I forgot to take pics at these visits.

Of course we also got to spend some quality time with "Bumpa" and "Cece."

Michael with "Bumpa" and "Cece"

Michael also discovered his toes and got a new toy:

On top of all our visits we went to a rehearsal dinner and wedding for Gabe's good buddy Scott Lavendar and his new wife Margaret. I didn't end up getting to go to the wedding because after all our visits, I was spent. I ended up getting sick, but it was worth it because it was great to see everyone! Until we meet again Dallas... Now I have to go catch up on some rest!

4 Months

2011-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

I am a little late on this one, but Michael is now 4 months and 8 days. Here are some 4 month stats:

Weight- 17 pounds, 8 ounces (95th percentile)
Height- 27 inches (90th percentile)
His eyes are still blue and he is mostly still bald.
He is sleeping from about 11 pm - 7 am and has a couple naps during the day.
He slept his 1st night in his own room last night and did great!
He has discovered his toes and likes to grab things.
He likes to blow bubbles.
He likes to squeal in a high pitch and makes several other funny noises.
He likes to smile at people especially mommy and daddy.
He laughs when he gets sleepy.
He is ticklish.
He is the cutest baby in the world!

A Great Getaway!

2011-08-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Gabe and I got to go with some friends to the coolest cabin I have ever been to up in the mountains of Colorado Springs. We caravanned with Canyon, Kaki, and their little Claire-bear who is 8 months to Colorado where we stayed at the "Wood O' Pines" cabin. The cabin belongs to a good family friend of theirs and Kaki has been going there since she was a little kid. There was zip-lining, four-wheeling, book reading, marshmallow roasting, wine drinking, fire making, hiking, fishing, canoeing, sight-seeing, conversing and just plain having funning! Now we all want to buy a cabin in the mountains! Maybe one day... One can dream... Here are some highlights of the trip:

3 Months!

2011-08-01T11:20:00.001-07:00

Michael is 3 months old! Everyone says that it goes by fast and now I believe them! He has been such a great baby!

Here are some Michael 3 month facts:

He likes his naps and his milk and is fussy when he is needing either, but other than that he is usually in great spirits.
He likes to smile.
His favorite word is "agoo."
He has began to bat his toys with his hands.
He is sleeping pretty consistently from 12am-4:30, 5-8, and sometimes 8-10. Then he takes naps about every 2-3 hours during the day.
He is holding his head up like a champ.
I think that now he knows that his hands are attached to his body, but sometimes looks at them and his expression seems to say, "where did those come from?"

It is amazing how much babies change so much in their first year. I wake up every morning thinking, "what new thing will Michael do today?" And every day I thank God that I get to be his mom and take care of this precious gift!

Happy 3 months Mr. Michael!

Girls + 1 Boy Weekend

2011-08-01T10:25:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, the boys went camping in the beautiful mountains of Colorado which meant girls weekend at home! Poor Michael was stuck in Amarillo with the girls. He was a little to young to head off with the boys just yet. So, while the guys were looking at this...

The girls were looking at this...

We decided to have a yard sale and I can't say that it was a success in monetary terms, but it was fun to hang out with some of my favorite gals. My neighbor and good friend Megan hosted the event, and Sarah spent the night at our house all weekend, so we would mosey on over in the morning help with the sale. The 3 of us plus Megan's 2 girls, and Michael spent the whole weekend together and named ourselves the "sister wives." We ran errands, helped with the kids, made fruity drinks, ate pizza, gave each other facial masks and foot rubs, and we laughed a lot! It felt like I was back in the college dorms again except add kids, more comfortable beds, and better overall living conditions, so maybe it wasn't really like the dorms at all, but it was fun!

The Sister Wives!

Poor Michael was a victim of girls weekend. While I was in the shower, this is what happened to him...

It was a fun weekend and we were actually a little sad when the guys said they were coming home a day early. Maybe our next move will be to a bigger house so we can really live together as sister wives. That wouldn't be too weird, would it?

Gotta go do manly stuff with Michael so he won't be too scarred from girls weekend :-)...

2 Month Check Up

2011-07-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Michael's 2 month check up on July 7th and my fears were confirmed, he is growing way too fast! He weighed 14 lbs. 8 oz. and was 25.5 inches long! He is off the charts in height and 95th percentile in weight! Even though he is growing so fast, he is healthy and the doctor is very pleased with how well he is doing. I happened to look at my baby book where my mom used to record my growth and I weighed 14 lbs. 8 oz. at my 6 month check up! I think he is taking after his dad in size.

He is a whole 11 weeks old today!

Florida!

2011-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Michael's first big trip was to Florida where we stayed for 2 whole weeks. He was 5 1/2 weeks old when we left and 7 1/2 weeks when we returned home. He was a great traveler and did so great of the airplane both ways. The sounds and motions of the airplane lulled him to sleep. When he got fussy I fed him, and then all was well with the world again. We went to Florida for Gabe's sister, Beth's, wedding where she married Chip Castle. It just so happened that they got married just a few miles from where Gabe and I got married (in Seaside) 6 years ago. In fact, we celebrated our 6 year anniversary on the trip. Beth and Chip make a great couple and I am very happy for them! After all the wedding festivities were over, Gabe and I stayed and waited for my parents, bother (Kevin), and sister-in-law (Kristen) to meet us in Florida. We were supposed to go on this trip last year, but the oil spills delayed our plans so it ended up working perfectly this year for us to go on an extended vacation in the gulf. Here are some pics from the fabulous beach vacation.

The Bridesmaids with Beth before the wedding

The wedding party with Mr. and Mrs. Castle!

The Skypala's and the newly married Castle's!

Auntie Beth!

Family pic after the wedding

Michael smiling (7weeks)

Uncle Kev and Aunt Kris

Out to dinner on our last night in Florida

Gabe teaching Michael to fly

We had a great time with everyone and we miss the beach! I can't wait to go back when Michael is a older and can enjoy the sand and waves a little more!

Gotta go take a bath and turn on the wave sound machine and pretend I am at the beach...

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a happy 4th of July! We enjoyed celebrating with our sweet little firecracker! We attended our neighborhood parade and then headed out to the Palo Duro Club (PDC) for another parade with our friends Canyon, Kaki, and their beautiful, little Claire Bear (pictured below). Claire is 6 months old, but I have a feeling that Michael is going to pass her up in size pretty soon! We had a great day celebrating being an American! I am grateful that we live in a country where Michael can be free to not only dream big, but also have the means, resources, and freedoms to achieve his dreams. Here are some pics from the day:

At our neighborhood parade

Claire and Michael in their patriotic strollers

Our sweet neighbors and their adorable kiddos

Hugo got hot, so he hitched a ride in the Barbie Jeep

"LET FREEDOM RING!"

The Incredible Growing Boy!

2011-06-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Michael is already 2 months old and he is getting so big!

I guess we should have expected him to be a big baby, but it seems like he is growing way too fast! He was supposed to be at his birth weight (8 lbs., 3 oz.) by his 2 week appointment, but when he got on the scale he weighed in at 10 lbs. 4 oz.! Then for his month appointment he weighed in at 12 lbs. 3 oz.! I almost cried. This growing boy is averaging a pound a week! His 2 month appointment is in a couple weeks and I'm kind of scared to see what the scale will reveal! I am thankful though that he is a healthy boy and that he likes his milk!

Here are some pics of the growing boy:

About to go home from the hospital.

Future Basketball Star!

Swinging Away (1.5 weeks)

Swingin' at 8 weeks

Looking cute in his daddy's arms.

Reading the Kindle before bed (2 weeks)

"Zero Emissions" -yeah right! (4 weeks)

Getting ready for hunting (8wks)

Sittin' tall in his bumbo (8wks)

I improved my signage a little bit. :-)

Gotta go... gotta watch a baby grow!

It's Been A While!

2011-06-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've posted and a few things have happened since the last entry. One being, we had a baby! This is the main reason I am starting to blog again. After getting several weekly requests for pictures of our little (but quickly growing) little guy, I figured it would be easier to post pics here so if you want to stay updated you can. I am not promising cool graphics and designs because I am not so knowledgable in that area. I am only hoping to get in a few updates between naps and such. So feel free to drop in and see what is happening in the world of Skypala whenever you feel like it. We aren't too exciting, but we sure do have a cute baby :-) So welcome to the world our sweet bundle of joy:

Mr. Michael Justus Skypala

Born April 30th, 2011 9:37am

8 pounds, 3 ounces

21 1/2 inches

(Photo taken by our sweet friend Lezlie Andrew. She's awesome. Check out her blog: http://www.lezlieandrewblog.com/)

It has been quite a journey for us in waiting for Mr. Michael to get here. I had an ectopic pregnancy back in 2007 (when we were not trying to get pregnant) and this took out one of my fallopian tubes making only one functional. This made it a little more difficult to get pregnant so after 2 years of praying, hoping, crying, and trying we were surprised by a positive pregnancy test! Nine months later we were blessed with this little boy and I couldn't love him any more.

Here are some highlights of the journey so far...

In October we went to Arizona for my Grandad's 90th birthday, but we had a surprise to reveal as well. Gabe took a family photo and after a few, "say cheese" photos, he threw in "say Brooke is pregnant" You can see the reaction in these pics.

"Everyone say cheese"

"Everyone say Brooke is pregnant!"

(It took a second for the news to set in)

(Now we are getting a reaction)

Then in December the sex of the baby was revealed by cutting into a cake. Gabe and I didn't even know because we had the doctor put the sex in an envelope that we sealed (without peeking) and sent to my mom's friend Deanna who baked the cake. Blue for boy, pink for girl... what kind of cake will it be??

It's a Boy!!!

The Happy Family

We had 2 fabulous showers, one in Plano and one in Amarillo that helped us prepare for our little guys arrival. We were showered with so many gifts and much kindness! We are blessed with so much love and support and I am so grateful for all our sweet friends and family!

Plano Shower

Hostesses

Cute Decorations and Cupcakes (yum!)

High school friends (Katie (right) is expecting in August and Becca (left) had her baby in July)

Family

Amarillo Shower

Hostesses

The Sweet Spread and Coolest Toy Chest Cake ever!

Family

Silly Friends (1 real, 2 fakers- guess which ones are which)

Being pregnant was a joy...

But being a mom is even better...

I thank God every day for this precious gift! Thank you to everyone who has prayed, encouraged, and supported us on this journey. We love you lots!

Every good and perfect gift is from above! James 1:17

Gotta go... crying baby... more updates to come...

Grasshoppers Aren't Just for Hoppin'

2009-06-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

This is one of the delectable delicacies we got to experience in Uganda...grasshoppers! You first pull off the legs and wings, then season and fry 'em up and have yourself a tasty treat. As we popped them into our mouths their eyeballs stared us down. The texture was what I had a hard time with, they were very... crunchy. Gabe described them as tasting like buttered popcorn, but not as good. I think they tasted like fried rice paper with nutty, earthy undertones. They would go well with a light Pinot Grigio :-) Our Wells of Hope friends kept telling us that they are considered a delicacy and are very expensive but... when we got to Kenya we told them we ate grasshoppers and they asked, "Why would you eat a bug?" Good question.

The Rainbow

2009-06-22T12:11:00.001-07:00

Here is our friend Jared spreading the love in Uganda. While we were at the grandmother's house a crowd of neighbors gathered to see what was going on. WHile we were there, we put on a play about Jesus walking on water, told some stories, and did some face painting. Well, the guy in the picture wanted his chest painted. I think he was looking for a female artist, but Jolena volunteered the closest male available and it just happened to be Jared! Being the willing volunteer, Jared stepped up to the plate and asked what he wanted on his chest. His request: a giant rainbow. As you can see Jared took the job very seriously, and his hard work paid off, it was the most beautiful giant chest rainbow I've ever seen! Good job Jared!

This One's for You Dad!

2009-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

My dad's favorite type of jokes are plays on words, so because these jokes have been engrained in my DNA, I just couldn't help myself when we were in Uganda and we drove by the source of the Nile. I just couldn't stop it from coming out of my mouth "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." A few snickers from our team, Wells of Hope team... silence. I should have stopped there, but Emma our Ugandan friend asked, "Does anyone know where the Nile (de-nial) comes from?" And I said, "It comes from not accepting the truth." Emma said, "No, I accept the truth." I started to try and explain that I know he accepts the truth, and as I envisioned the rest of the conversation in my head, I just ended with "nevermind." So lesson learned: Play on word jokes do not work when English is the 2nd language. (Dad, take note as we will be traveling to Mexico in July. You may need to start coming up with some new material)

Gabe with Emma, our Ugandan friend who accepts the truth!

Wells of Hope

2009-06-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Wells of Hope is the 1st organization that we worked with. Francis Ssuubi founded this organization after he was unjustly imprisoned. While in prison, he felt called to fight for those who are often forgotten and dismissed by society. Francis met us at the airport when we arrived in Africa. He didn't actually believe we were coming until saw us at the airport. In fact, when Jolena sent him money in advance to pay for our hotel and ministry items, he went to the bank, got the money, and then he thought it was a trick so he ran from the bank with the money. I think he was quite relieved when he saw us get off that plane. Pictured: Me with Prossy and Emma, Wells of Hope Volunteers

Often families of prisoner's are outcasted from their communities which can be very devastating to the family. Sometimes the children are left to wander the streets. Wells of Hope does the research to find families of the prisoner's and then they offer their support. Sometimes their help is rejected because the family is so ashamed of the person in prison, but if help is accepted then they provide school fees and basic needs for the children. They assist families of prisoners to start up income generating businesses. They also conduct programs to educate people about AIDS and provide prisoners with hygiene items, bibles, food, and counsel. Check out their website to see all they do: www.wellsofhope.org

They do this all on a voluntary basis and I think Gabe said it best, "They have shown us what it is really like to follow Christ." Not everyone understands the mission of Wells of Hope mission, but God does and their reward awaits them in heaven. This is the verse on the Wells of Hope business cards: "The Spirit of God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to prisoners" Isaiah 61:1

Wells of Hope Offices

While we were with Wells of Hope we were able to visit families of prisoners and hear their stories, speak at 3 different prisons, and spend a day in worship and encouragement with the Wells of Hope team. Here are some highlights:

Seeing the prisoners worship. They worship with everything they have!
When going to the prisons we split into 3 groups: Men, Condemned, and Women's. I was with the woman's group and we witnessed 4 women become "born again" in Christ!
Visiting the homes of prisoner's families. One woman decided to accept Christ while we were there! (Pictured with her family below)

Visiting a grandmother's house who takes care of many children. We put on a play for the family and neighbors who stopped by to see why all the white people showed up. I was in charge coming up with a way to minister to the grandmother and before I left for the trip I read about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and I thought, "that is what I want to do." So I did, and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me. She was speaking to the translator and kept saying things like, "I can't believe this is happening to me." and "I've never seen God work in the flesh, but this is showing more about who God is." Wow! I don't often have the chance to serve someone like that and I can see why Jesus said now go do this for others. There is such joy found in serving others, and it truly reflects Christ's love for us.

Above: The grandmother with some of the kids she takes care of. They are all looking up at Gabe in this picture. He is one tall mizungu (white person)!

Meeting the Wells of Hope team and seeing what it means to not conform to the patterns of this world. Gabe was so inspired by the ministry that we have agreed to be their US representatives... we are not really sure what this means, but we are excited about the possibilities. I'm sure there will be more on this later...

After we said goodbye to Wells of Hope, we got in our vans and headed off to Kenya... to be continued...

New Title

2009-06-15T07:06:00.001-07:00

Trying out a new blog title. Thanks Diana for the idea!

We're Back!

2009-06-11T12:56:00.001-07:00

We are back in Amarillo and I am planning on updating the blog with stories from our trip soon. There has been a slight hiccup because my journal is in the hands of a thief along with my passport and a few other belongings. On the 2nd to last day of our trip our vehicle was broken into and 6 bags were stolen. 3 of us left our passports in our bags so we ended up getting to stay in Africa for another day where we got a wonderful tour of the US Embassy in Kenya. The devil was trying to steal our joy, but it ain't gunna happen. The trip was still amazing and I will be posting stories soon!

Also, thank you so much to all of you who were praying for us! We all are back home safe and sound with memories that will last a lifetime. Many seeds were planted, and many have found a new hope in Christ!

Hello!

2009-06-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

So internet access has been pretty limited. I have been journaling so I can update when I get home, but just wanted to let you know that the trip has been amazing and everything has been going great! Thank you so much for all of your prayers. We feel protected and have had peace and guidance in all we have done. We are in Kenya and will be dedicating the water well today. Be praying that we strike water!! It will be a great day of celebration! We will see you all in a week! Love, Brooke

We Are Expecting!

2009-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

No, we are not pregnant, but we are expecting! I am expecting great things. When I heard about this trip, something started tugging on my heart. I made many excuses as to why not to go, but couldn't get it out of my mind. After much prayer, discussing with Gabe, and then meeting with Jolena, we decided to go. I don't step out in faith very often, but I hope I am starting a new pattern. Now with less than a week left before we leave, I know that I am supposed to be going on this trip.

Among one of my many excuses not to go was that we would have to stop trying to get pregnant for a couple months. We have to get a lot of immunizations and it is not recommended to get pregnant while being shot up with a bunch of chemicals, makes sense. Most of you know that we have been trying to get pregnant since last summer and have had no results so far, although practice makes perfect (that's the theory anyways). I only have one functional fallopian tube, so we knew it was going to take us a little longer than the average Joe (and Jane). This has not been a huge source of worry, but the journey is a bit of an emotional one.

I just wanted to write about this as a testament to how amazing God is. At the end of one of our meetings for our trip we each were instructed to draw a name of a team member out of a bowl, and we were to go over and pray for him or her. I drew Kristen's name and once I was done praying for her she asked if she could pray for me. Of course I said sure, so she began to pray. As she was praying she looked up and said, "I don't know if this is way off, but I have a picture of you in my mind and you are pregnant. You are walking towards the sun and holding a man's hand." Now Kristen had no knowledge of our history and did not even know that this was a concern of mine. After getting over the shock of the moment, I thought, "Oh my gosh, He really loves me." And for someone who struggles with guilt, this is a great realization. It also gave me confirmation that this is what we are supposed to be doing.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

I am looking forward to this trip and beyond with great expectations!

PS. We leave in T minus 3 days!!! WOW!

Detailed Itinerary

2009-05-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a more detailed itinerary. Created by Jolena Watson:

Date:	Place :	Pray for us:	Gifts: We have already received most of funds for all the gifts thanks to all the generous givers !!	Prayer partner:
May 23	Depart Amarillo – 1:05 pm	Travel and baggage- 22 hours !
May 24	Arrive in Uganda - 8:15 pm	Drivers to be in place . Waiting and ready to receive us - they will be coming all the from Kenya
May 25	Orphanage and neighborhood outreach	Minister to broken young lives	Food , hygiene items
May 26	Kirinya, Jinja womens & remand -three different prisons -hundreds of prisoners!	Speak powerful words that breakthrough veils and doubt , words of prophecy for them	Bibles , food & hygiene items
May 27	Orphanage and neighborhoood outreach	Serve the grandmother leader and minister to young broken lives	Food , hygiene items
May 28	Luzira condemned men & women prison & deathrow --------Juvenile prison . Four different prisons with hundreds and hundreds ....	Speak words of real HOPE , forgiveness and purpose . Strength & words of prophecy	Bibles , food , hygiene items
May 29	Wells of Hope office( organization we are working with )	Ministering to the ministry team (25).	Christian books
	Rongo , Kenya
May 30	Travel across Uganda to Rongo -12 hrs.?	Minister to the stranger* and travel	Gifts ???
May 31	** Church service , home visits & video	Strengthen , comfort & encourage. To pray healing , deliverance , joy and purpose for them	Food , mattresses, Bibles
June 1	Home visits , seminar and , video	Outreach to entire community – unity	Food & Bibles
June 2	Travel to Nairobi – 8 hours ??	Rest , unity , joy , wonder , renewal
June 3	Massailands – ***Water well dedication !!!!	Water well to blow ! Tribes to receive Jesus as Lord – favor with leadership	Food & Bibles & WATER
June 4	Mitumba Slums – Nairobi , Kenya Children's seminar	To present the Savior in an exciting and purposeful way to children	Food , tracks , crafts
June 5	Church seminar and the ****first ever Mitumba community outreach with a night movie outreach .	Empowering words and actions – we are discipling the very broken and very thrown away by society . At dark we need your prayers for opened ears and safty	Food, Bibles , tracts
June 6	Sinai Slum- newly evangelised slum in Nairobi Mitumba Bible Cub for youth & orphanage -play at park time & dinner	Prayer walk Outreach to youth in the slums and precious play time with the orphans	Latrine Food ,beds, mattresses,sheet
June 7	Church, Sight seeing and departure at 11:45pm Kristin will be staying behind to begin her volunteer time in Mitumba	Travel safety and rest on the way home – Pray for her as this will be a testing time	Kristin

* We believe the Holy Spirit has given us knowledge that there will be a time of encountering a stranger on the road to minister to.

**This is the AIDS area – we will be given the entire Church service time to minister and then we are going to the homes of the widows and orphans that have been kicked out of the community for following the ways of God . Also getting to show a video at night to reach out to them all in this area . Video in the wilderness on a sheet!!

*** The water well should be ready and hopefully blow water the day we arrive – this is to be a celebration day with over 250 tribe members and 8 government officials attending

**** Video outreach to Mitumba – we have hired government security to provide a safty needed to be out after dark in the slums – this is very risky ground we will be on and requiring much prayer please!

Thank you for your prayers!

Prayer Needed

2009-05-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

We had our second to last meeting for our trip to Africa last Sunday where we learned that even more has been added to our itinerary. Jolena Watson is the mastermind behind this trip, and she has teamed up with 3 trusted ministries in Africa: Wells of Hope, Christian Mission Aid (CMA), and REM Kenya in which we will be serving. Our goal and theme of the trip is to bring HOPE to those who have very little. Through these ministries we will be serving prisoners, orphans, victims of AIDS, students, government officials, and whoever else we happen to come across on our journey. Here is a very rough draft of our itinerary. (There will be an updated itinerary soon and I will post that on the blog.)

May 23: travel to Africa from Amarillo

May 24-29 (Uganda): Prison ministry (Gabe will be teaching at the juvenile prison where there may be a crowd of 2500!), visits to orphanages, neighborhood outreach. We will be providing food, bibles and hygiene products to the prisoners, and families of prisoners.

May 30: travel to Nyanza - Rongo

May 31-June 1 (Nyanza - Rongo): AIDS ministry, home visits, food ministry

June 2: Travel to Massailand

June 3 (Massailand): Well dedication, 8 government officials will be attending and Jolena will be teaching. This will be a day of celebration!

June 4-6 (Mitumba slums): Our group will conduct the church service and a seminars to adults one day and children at the school the next day. We will make orphanage visits and will be conducting manual labor wherever needed. We have been given permission to show a movie called "The Hope" where anyone from the village can attend. This is considered pretty dangerous because usually nothing good happens in the slums after dark, but they have given us permission. There will be police in attendance and we will be serving popcorn and tea. This could be a really great opportunity to get a message to the whole community!

June 7th - adventure day (Jolena has a surprise for us this day, I'm thinking it might involve animals...)

June 8th - travel home

There is no doubt that a lot of prayer is going to be necessary to guide and protect us on this trip. Some of you have already committed to pray for us and we are extremely grateful! What we would like to do is find people to pray and possibly fast for us on specific days on our trip. If you would like to commit to a day of focused prayer for us, then please leave your name in the comments. If there is a specific day that you prefer then specify which day, otherwise I will just assign you a day. Thank you for all of your love and support!

The Startings of a Blog

2009-05-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well hello there. I decided to start a blog to update all those who are interested in keeping up with our African adventures, and who knows I might throw in some stories about other things as well. I thought it would be easier than sending out e-mail updates. This way you can stop by on your terms.

We are leaving May 24th and will return June 8th. I will try my best to keep this blog updated with prayer requests for our team and any other interesting updates. So stay tuned because I know that God is going to do some amazing things on this trip!

Also, I could not think of a catchy/creative name for the blog. "Skypala Stories"... lame-o. Any suggestions? Please leave ideas in "comments" Thanks!