Good Times!

We had a fun weekend BBQ with our friends the Kwait Family! Lindsay and her husband Gavin (funny I know, and at times very confusing) and their son Travis. The kids had a blast together and tuckered eachother out. It was a nice and much needed evening with friends, laughing, eating, playing and laughing some more!! Thanks for the fun times!

Crazy Lindsay

Elijah had so much fun hanging out in the swing
Gavin and Linds
Daddy and Elijah

Gavin & Gavin =)

Travis and Gavin feeding eachother chips...too funny

Train Day

This past weekend we decided to take the boys to the Plano Train Museum. It was my first "outing" since the surgery, and myself and the boys needed to get out of the house! Gavin is obsessed with trains so we thought this would be something nice to show him. It was cute and there is also a little park next to it so he and daddy got an ice cream and played at the park after. It was a nice relaxing afternoon.

Thank You!

Well it has been a little over a week since my surgery and I am feeling much better. I had ALOT of help from my hubby and friends while I was out of commission. I was not at all self sufficient and I couldn't really walk or carry Elijah, so we had to have someone over here everyday helping so that I could get around, and to take care of the day to day needs of myself and the kiddos so Mike could work.

My girlfriends were FANTASTIC and I don't know what I would have done without their help! They picked days to come over and help and on some days even split shifts. Their outpouring of love and support was so amazing. Meg and the girls from church also set up meals for us for the week which was such a big help, and just having them here to occupy my kids, and myself was such a blessing.Thank you to EVERYONE for your prayers, phone calls and support, it means so much to the whole family.Here are some cute pics of the boys and their friends Malia and Job on one of the play days!

Gavin and his buddy Job

Elijah, Gavin and Job's sister Malia
They are so stinkin cute!!

Unconditional

It continues to astound me how in times of deepest despair, when you feel as though you couldn't cry another tear, that one more thing just couldn't go wrong, the "Why(s)" start happening, and it takes every effort to see God's glory amidst the pain, that His love prevails. I had one of those moments, who am I kidding, I have had a TON of those moments lately.

As many know it has been a bitter sweet year for us Bullards. We have had to stand and face so many tribulations that I started thinking that I must be doing something wrong? Why and how are these storms still lingering? I will have to say that I reached one of those "Not so happy" moments the other day and barricaded myself in my master bedroom closet. I fell to my knees and cried out to God from the deepest pit of my heart, why? Why does this keep happening? Why cant something go right? Why does our insurance totally stink and Elijah needs more help but can't get it? Why does Elijah have to keep enduring so many things? Why do my husband and I have to keep enduring all this blah? I sobbed and yelled and sobbed some more and then I cried out to God, "Please please please let something just work out! Let something great happen to us because I just cant do this anymore! I feel so sad, hopeless and alone"!

Just a few minutes later I felt a sense of peace and then I heard the bathroom door open, then the closet door open, and there stood my precious little Gavin. He walked over to me and pulled my hands off of my eyes while I was crying and said, "Mommy please don't cry, don't be sad. I cant see your eyes Mommy." Then he kissed my face, put his sweet little head on my leg and then he lay ed down on the closet floor with me while I cried.

Gavin's sweetness made me cry even more, but what a glorious way to show me all of the blessings that I still have despite the turmoil. God has blessed me with two of the most amazing little boys whose hearts and spirits never fail. Their love for others runs so deep and innocent. They love us regardless of whatever "moment" we are having. Unconditionally. That is how our Heavenly Father loves us and that in it of itself is a reason to smile even though everything around you seems in disarray.

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God." Psalm 71:20-22

Check Please!

So today has been an interesting sort of day. We started with Elijah's speech/feeding therapy and that went very well. He ate a few spoonfuls of banana, but then decided that he wanted nothing more to do with that. We went home and he went down for a nap, aah peace. Then I remembered that I HAD to go to the DMV to get my Texas license. (I know, I have definitely lagged in that department, but who in their right mind wants to go to the DMV). Mike was working from home so I packed up Gavin, some snacks and off we were.

We got to the DMV and the line was out the door, but I knew there was no turning back so we waited. Thank goodness for goldfish, juice and a set of teenage twin girls that were behind us in line. Gavin flirted and giggled and burped, that's right burped, to get these two girls attention and it worked. They were smitten and so was he.

We finally got to the front of the line, signed my life away and then stood for the picture, which Gavin stood with me and smiled "cheese" when they took the picture. Everyone in the DMV heard this and started laughing. By this time, I thought I was going to go tinkle in my pants and Gavin kept insisting that I hold him. Are you kidding me! So after 2 hours we were done! Hooray! As we were leaving the DMV the two twin girls smiled and told Gavin goodbye and Gavin responded by saying, "bye ladies"! LOL! What a stud! So we ventured home and from that point on it was complete chaos! Elijah was a sweet angel and played on the floor with us but Gavin, ooohhhh Gavin, he had a mind of his own.

It began to thunder storm so we knew we were in for the day, therefore diapers were off of Gavin and potty time had begun. I knew he had to use the potty but refused, instead he decided to tinkle all over my living room ottoman. UGH! A little bit later I could tell he had to go again so I told him," remember to use your potty". He did, and I was so happy, that is until I went into the bathroom. (I wasn't there when it happened because I am not "allowed" to see him tinkle). There was urine all over the kiddy toilet, floor and my bathtub. It was like there were a dozen toddler boys in my bathroom having target practice. What happened!??????????????????? He gleefully told me that he went potty. No kidding.

That mess was cleaned up and we all go about our business. It is seriously like 20min later that Gavin walks into the office where Mike and I are talking and informs us that he went poo-poo. I knew it. I just knew it. There was no way he was talking about going poo-poo on the potty,not with how the day was already going. We walked into the living room and he pointed to where he went poo-poo...on my carpet in the corner. Mike shook his head and I was in shock. "Gavin, we told you to use your potty"!! He said that he was a good boy and went potty. Obviously there is a gap in our communication somewhere? We cleaned up the mess, disgusting! We sat and explained to Gavin that that is not where we go potty, I'm not sure he was listening to me? However, I thought that there was no way that the day could get any worse. YEAH RIGHT!

Some time had passed and Rusty was scrapping at the backdoor to go to the bathroom. Gavin said he was opening the door for the puppy to go potty, which he does all the time. I should have known something more was going on and shame on me for not having eyes placed strategically around my head!!! Within minutes we hear Gavin screaming bloody murder, he is outside...in the rain...total mess. We run out to get him and he is covered in mud, grass, water (that's an obvious one) and he had HUGE scraps that were bleeding on his behind. Gavin decided that it would be a brilliant idea to go down his slide, in the rain, naked nonetheless. I rushed him into our bathroom where I threw him in the tub to clean him off. WHEW! I was wiped. It was then that I came to the conclusion that I was ABSOLUTELY DONE FOR THE DAY and CHECK PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comebacks!

Hello everyone! We have been home from California for almost a week and what a week it has been! Gavin has had quite a few "moments" since we have returned home. I think he is just mad at us for taking him away from all his loved ones! We got some good chuckles from him, as well as high blood pressure, so we thought that we would share with you!

OK so, so far this week Gavin has had a few hilarious comebacks. His first was when he was being scolded for playing with his food. I mentioned time-out and Gavin responded by saying, "Don't you dare Mama"! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! Did he really just say that to me!!???? And my favorite was today, he spilt water all over the floor in the kitchen while getting water from the fridge and when I pointed out the mess he had made, he responded by telling me, "It was an accident BABE, don't worry about it BABE"!!! All I can do is shake my head and laugh! He is such a nut!!

Here are also some FUN pictures from our play/pool date with sweet Emily! They had so much fun together and looked so cute playing in the pool!