Bullard Blessings

Family Day!

2011-03-08T13:03:00.000-06:00

We love taking the boys out to do fun things as a family, and picnics at the park are a frequent event ( if weather permits) Gavin and Mike love to go fishing and Bugga, well as long as he can run around like a wild man he is good to go! Here are some fun pictures of our Family Day!

The fish started wiggling and Gavin freaked and dropped them! lol!

My happy boy

Smiles

Boy bonding

My sweet boys

Tis the Season!

2011-03-08T12:40:00.000-06:00

This was such a special Christmas with all of my fabulous men and extra special as it was Oliver's first Christmas! We had so much fun watching them open all of their gifts and be so excited for one another. I will forever cherish the moments spent with my precious family.

Three of my favorite people!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

He's so cool

My big boy

My first Christmas!

Energy for life part 2

2011-03-08T12:23:00.000-06:00

The day of the walk I was a bundle of nerves! Megs and I showed up at the park and met the Bullard family and before we knew it, with camera and video camera in hand, the walk began. It was so emotional and exhilerating to see all of these families out there in support of loved ones who are fighting this terrible disease along with those precious children. I dont think I can put into words how incredible it was watching these sweet little children give it their all to cross that finish line. It was inspirational!

Once the walk was complete, we met up with the LaFlammes and watching Elijah and Kylie together after they had finished the walk warmed my heart. They have such a special little connection without ever muttering a single word. I look forward to many more trips to see eachother and allow Bugga to have time with his sweet Kylie.

Team Bugga!

Kar and Stevie beginning the walk

He was so excited

Aunt Cheryl, Bugga and the girls coming through the finish line

Kelly, Kylie, Myself and Eli

This was all for you my sweet boy

They love eachother

Energy for life part 1

2011-03-08T11:57:00.001-06:00

Elijahs Energy for Life walk was in Arizona and we were fortunate enough to be able to spend some much needed time with some fabulous friends prior to the big walk. Megs, Bugga and I took the 17 hour drive from TX to Arizona and between the laughter, Bugga rallying all day and night, speeding tickets from New Mexico's finest, tears, hugs, and a new GPS machine that we nicknamed the "Gremlin" this was a trip and a moment in time that I will never ever forget. We are so very grateful for Auntie Megan, as well as the Bullard family who drove out from CA, for taking the time and resources from their busy lives to come and support and love on our sweet Bugga! We love you guys so very much!

Also thank you to everyone who donated in support of Team Bugga. You are all so incredibly generous and I just know that God is going to use those donations in a great way to further research in hopes of finding a cure for Mito. Also a very special thank you to the LaFlamme family who opened up their home and lives to us. You guys are such an amazing family and what a true blessing it was to spend time with you as well as having Elijah and Kylie meet for the second time and re-connect!!

Here are some pics of our time together prior to the walk!

My sweet friend!! Who would have thought that we would re-connect in this way after HS? You and Kylie are such a blessing to our lives. We love you!

Kylie having so much fun with Megan playing at the park

Our neices from CA!

Bugga rocking out

buds

His latin lover

Sweet friends

5th Bday!

2010-11-03T12:54:00.002-05:00

It is still surreal to me to say that I have a 5yr old son. It seems way to big boy for my liking. I look at Gavin and I no longer see my super chubby boy with his raspy voice saying " Ball! Ball!" Now I look and see this super handsome, sweet, empathetic, lovng, witty, smart, caring, funny, amazing big brother.He lights up a room just by walking into it and is such a joy to everyone around him. Hes always asking how he can help, being so incredibly kind to both of his younger brothers, and never passes up an opportunity to hold my hand, hug me and tell me how much he loves me. He melts my heart and I just know that the Lord has great plans for my sweet Gavin.

Happy Birthday big boy, we love you so so so much!

Horse Therapy

2010-11-03T12:41:00.002-05:00

Bugga has officially graduated from his pony, "Merrilegs" and is now on a big boy horse! He looks so cute, especially with his orange cast. He is still loving horse therapy and gets so excited when we ask him if hes ready to go to see the horse's. At his session last week they trotted for the first time and he held on all by himself, how crazy is that! haha! This form of therapy has been so helpful and nurturing for him, we are so very blessed that he has been given this opportunity and I cannot wait to see all of the new and fun things he will be doing!

A little unsure....

and we're off!!!

Soccer Stud

2010-11-03T12:34:00.003-05:00

Our not so little boy is in his second year of soccer. He LOVES his new team "Texas Heat" and is learning so much from his amazing coach. He is super quick on his feet but tends to be still a little hesitant when it comes to being assertive. He has such a sweet spirit so it is not too much of a shocker that hes not an aggressive player, but still he enjoys it and is learning valuable skills. His favorite thing to do is when he does a good play, he turns and squints one eye as to wink, and gives us a "thumbs up!" Too funny!

He is determined to get a goal so I am sure if that happens there will be a picture to follow!

Oliver 3 months

2010-11-03T12:29:00.002-05:00

Holy toledo! I am a bad mommy! Here it is merely a day away from his 4month bday and Im just posting his 3 month pictures! Sorry kiddo, its the life of the 3rd child!

Oliver is such a sweet blessing. Started out a little rough but hes doing fabulous! He was in the 94% for height and 75% for weight and he is growing like a weed. He is already becoming too long for his 6-12 month old clothes, wow! We love you Olie and it seems as though you have always been apart of our crazy testosterone filled family!

Baby Dedication

2010-09-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

School Boys!

2010-09-17T13:12:00.003-05:00

The boys have started back! Wahooo!!!!!!! Can you tell Im excited! haha! They are back in school now and love it. Elijah goes 5 days a week, MWF to the Early Childhood school where they pick him up at the house by bus and he is doing fantastic there. He does the bulk of his therapies there (not including horse and speech 2x outside of school) as well as social skills, feeding skills, computer skills etc. This school has been such a blessing to him. He also goes T TH to the preschool where he and Gavin have attended for a few years now and enjoys it there immensley. We decided to integrate him into a "regular" school setting outside of his Early Childhood school so that he can just be a kid and so far it seems as though that was the right decision.

Our big boy Gavin has started Pre-K!!!!!!!!!!! Agh can you believe it!!! He loves loves loves school and his teachers and friends. He is doing so well and his teachers are already bragging about what a sweet and smart little boy he is. Id have to say i cant disagree =) It is still a shocker that my first born is already in Pre-k. Seems like yesterday he was just my baby.

2 months!

2010-09-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

Family fun!

2010-08-24T14:43:00.001-05:00

Mikes parents made a trip here to TEXAS to come see all us crazy kids, oh, and meet their newest grandson. It was much needed time with family and as always, the boys were so beyond excited and happy to have their Papa and Grandma here. They love them so much and so do we. We miss you all already!

Brothers

The baby whisperer

The Bullard Boys

NICU

2010-08-24T13:54:00.008-05:00

My poor sweet Oliver. Just as we were celebrating your glorious birth my worst nightmare came true and you were taken to the NICU. My whole world shook. It seemed like a dejavu from Elijah. Your father and I prayed over you my entire pregnancy that the Lord would provide us with a healthy baby and that we wouldn't have to have another one of our children sick and in the NICU, and when they came by to have me say goodbye to you so they could take you away, I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. You were laying there trying so very hard to breathe on your own and I could see how badly you were struggling.

Once in the NICU they did xrays and saw that because you were struggling to breathe so hard that you had developed a whole in your lung. At that point, the only things doctors could do to give your little body the rest it needed was to intibate you. When I came to visit you I wasn't able to hold you and after the first day, I wasn't able to touch you because you were in a "no stimulation" mode. All I wanted was to wrap my arms around you and tell you how much we loved you and needed for you to get better.

As the days went on you were not improving and at one point, got worse so they had to do a blood transfusion to help your little body fight. Day and night Mommy came to the NICU to visit you and talk to your doctors, and before I knew it, it was time for me to go home, but I was doing so without you. Your daddy and I never thought we would have to leave a second baby behind and go home empty handed once again.

I don't think a mother/parent could fully grasp the pain of having your baby stay behind as you take the next step of going home. A time where you envision this beautiful moment and homecoming and instead it is replaced with sadness and tears. I cried out to God on so many occasions as to why this was happening again, and again He sweetly assured me that He loved you Oliver so much more than your Daddy and I ever could and you were in His care. We prayed fervently that the Lord would heal your little body so that we could have you home with us.

From that point on, the circus began. Thanks so my absolutely amazing friends, they helped to devise a schedule where I could have sitters come to the house in shifts as well as drivers come and take me to and from the NICU everyday and your daddy came during every available lunch break that he had. We did this, hoping that with every visit you would improve and thank God you did. After about a week, the hole in your lung closed on its own and little by little you begain to improve. Each time I came to see you, your oxygen levels were up, you were improving on your feeds and before we knew it, one by one the machines, cords, wires, multiple IV lines were removed and you were breathing and eating all on your own. All that was left was left was my beautiful baby boy's face that I had not seen for so long, and we were finally able to hold you. Praise God!

On the day we brought you home, your Daddy, brothers and I all went to the NICU to get you. When we arrived all your nurses and doctors were there awaiting our arrival to finally take you home. They loved on you and were so excited to see you healthy and ready to go home where you belonged. It was a sweet moment for sure and from that moment on it has been a ride little guy. You have been a firecracker from the moment you were born, probably because you have two older brothers ahead of you =) But now I look at you and you are chunking up before my eyes and smiling. We are looking forward to watching you grow baby boy.

We could not have gotten through those tough times without our Lord and our friends. Thank you for the sleepless nights of staying with me, taking me to the NICU at all hours. Thank you for taking care of and handling things that Mike and I were not capable of doing at that time. You stepped up ways that still to this day is so humbling. You all provided us with prayer, meals, words of encouragement, car rides to and from hospital, love, care for our children, tears and support. It is as though God banded together this amazing group of people because he knew we were going to need you, what a blessing.We are forever grateful to all of you who selflessly cared and loved on our family through that time. We will forever remember your support and we love you all so very much!

Oliver Thomas

2010-08-24T13:36:00.005-05:00

Welcome Oliver Thomas Born 8/5/2010 @ 8:02am via c-section 8lbs 1oz, 21 1/2 in!

Proud Daddy

Smooshy face

Big feet!

Balloon Festival

2010-06-29T09:53:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we went to the Celina Balloon Festival! It was craaaaazy hot but we went in the nightime so it actually turned out to be nice. We brought our blanket and purchased some shaved ice and hung out and listened to the live band, people watched and waited for the balloons to inflate. Unfortunatley, the wind picked up and they did not do the evening glow with all the balloons, but they did get one up briefly so the kiddos were happy about that! It was a nice evening spent with the family and friends =)

Silly Boys

2010-06-29T09:42:00.003-05:00

The boys have had so much fun so far this summer! They love being outdoors and playing in the sprinklers and pool. Now that they are getting older, they are such a riot to watch play together, and of course, torture eachother as brothers do! Enjoy!

Funny Eli checking out his crazy hose contraption

My big boy Gavin

Gavin pinching the hose to torture his brother...

And... here goes nothing...

We all couldnt stop laughing at this, especially Gavin!!!

My 3 boys

2010-06-19T12:20:00.002-05:00

I cannot tell you how surreal it is that we are going to be bringing another beautiful little boy into our family. It has been 3 crazy years with just Gavin and Elijah and us, although they graced us with their presence only 18 months apart, it feels as though its been the 4 of us FOREVER! We have gone through so many life changes and challenges and memories and I still pinch myself when I look down at my "not so little belly" and think, " Holy moly another Bullard boy!"

Gavin and Elijah, you two crazy boys are nothing short of AMAZING! Mommy and Daddy have cherished every moment that we have been blessed enough to spend with the two of you and know that you both are going to love Oliver just as much as we have loved you.

Gavin, you are the absolute sweetest boy. You have already told your Daddy and I, other than the simple fact that you are asking Jesus for a baby sister next =), how you want to hold Oliver and feed him and love on him when he cries. You are asking me on a daily basis when Oliver is going to be here and it warms my heart. You are going to be such a little helper and wonderful big brother to Oliver just as you have been these past 3 yrs to your Elijah!

Elijah, you crack us up!!!! We were the most concerned with how you would/will react to the new baby but after seeing you with your bff Grady as well as a multiude of other little ones I just know you are going to be such a sweetie. Feisty, but a sweetie! Im looking forward to seeing you as the big brother for a change and I am sure I am going to just keel over when I see you next to Oliver because you have been the baby of the family now for so long! Wow, my baby isnt going to be my baby anymore.

All in all, we are very excited for the changes to come! We love all 3 of you boys with all our hearts!

3rd bday fun!

2010-05-18T10:36:00.003-05:00

Elijah had the best time at his 3rd birthday party with all of his little friends! He did the zip line, ball pit, slides, swings, you name it! It was so sweet to see him so happy! He also got a little house from Mommy and Daddy as his present as he loves the one he plays with at school, and his face just lit up when he saw it! So precious! We love you big boy!

Easter

2010-05-18T10:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter! We had a wonderful Easter this year @ our house in the morning and then the Fishies in the late afternoon, along with some of our other friends! Gavin was psyched about finding all of the eggs in the morning and Elijah, well I think he has mastered the art of deception because he just sat there and let Gavin fill his bucket for him lol! He would crack up everytime Gavin would drop an egg in his basket, as if to say "sucker"! However, it was very sweet of Gavin to be so considerate to not take all of the eggs, he is our sweet boy! Enjoy!

Boy Bonding

2010-05-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

Supercross stud!

2010-05-18T10:19:00.003-05:00

Ok so as many of you already know, Gavin is OBSESSED with quads and dirtbikes, a kid after Mommy's own heart! I have to say, I am quite jealous when I get to see him zoom around on the jumps and trails, wishing it was me! However, pregnancy and quad riding dont really go hand in hand. Anyhow, he loves it and hes actually really good. The first time we got him out to the open track, he flew off these jumps and leaned perfectly when he turned, it was like he was a seasoned rider.
He asked us if he can now have a dirtbike??? Mike and I looked at eachother and our answer was " when you can ride your bike with no training wheels." Well, we shouldnt have said that because he got home and I kid you not, within a week of practicing he was flying around with no training wheels. Hes been with no training wheels for over 6 months, so needless to say Mommy and Daddy did not hold up our part of the bargain hehe! Hope you enjoy!

Happy 3rd Bday Bugga

2010-04-13T09:23:00.002-05:00

Dear Sweet Elijah,
I know it may seem cliche but it is truly amazing to me that you are 3 years old today! I remember the day you were born with such intensity. The delivery was filled with so much anxiety, love and worry. I remember being in the room with your Daddy, Auntie Shell and our Pastors, all praying that God's glory would be upon that day and that you were going to be ok. I don't even know how I can put into words the chaos of having you taken from us and put in a separate hospital and not being able to see your beautiful face until 8 hrs after you were born. When the moment came that I was able to go to NICU to see you, smell you, and hold you for the first time, it produced such a gush of raw emotion. You were stunning Elijah and from that moment on our lives would forever be changed and I would forever admire you.

The only word I could use to describe the first few months of your life would be “whirlwind.” Your stay in the NICU, bringing you home for the first time only to have to bring you right back, feeding tubes, feeding machines, several surgeries, hours of countless therapy and countless doctors and doctors appts, to receiving the news that you were much more sick than we originally thought. All of that seem to me to be a lifetime ago. Yet through it all here you stand before us today this amazing little 3 year old! I remember the sickly little baby boy who would look at you with these beautiful brown eyes and smile, no matter how much he was hurting or afraid. Now when I look at you and you, I still see a little guy, but one whose heart and spirit make him such a big boy!

When I look at all of the morass of challenges that you have had to face in your short little life, I cry. Not just out of sadness because a Mommy never wants her child to hurt, but because I am just so very proud of you Bugga. You have accomplished so much in these 3 years. You have beat the odds and succeeded in feats that Dr.'s told us you may never do. Your Daddy and I remember Dr.'s saying, “He may never eat on his own without his tube.” Now I cant shovel food into your mouth fast enough. “He will probably really struggle with walking, and/or never walk without his walker.” Now you are clumsily strolling around like you own the place, pushing your big brother around when he doesnt get out of your way! “We may never know what is “wrong” with him.” Now after years of testing we have answers. “He will probably never integrate into a “normal” school.” WOW, we are still in awe of how you have flourished at your pre-school, making new friends and winning over the hears of your amazing teachers. I would have to say that the best part of all your accomplishments, is the way you face everyday with this adorable smile and spirit that touches the hearts of anyone who has ever had the privilege of knowing you.
Elijah, in the short 3 years that I have had the privilege of calling you my son, you have touched my heart in ways that I could have never imagined. You have taught me what being a parent means and the true value placed on unconditional love. I know without a doubt that with all you have overcome and will still have to face, that God molded your perfect little body from the inside out with his own hands and He loves you with an everlasting love. He hand picked you to be our son and be apart of our lives and family, and I consider it an honor to be your Mommy. You are a gift from God and know that with every challenge and celebration that may come your way that your Daddy, brothers and I will be right there to support you. Never let anyone tell you that you cant or wont because you can. You can accomplish all of your dreams and face the curve balls of life because you have the support and love of us as your family and your Heavenly Father.

We love you Bugga and we celebrate this 3 year milestone with such joy and look forward to many more years of successes and big smiles!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Gavin & Oliver

Superstar Gavin

2010-02-24T13:10:00.002-06:00

Gavin was chosen as "Superstar of the week" at school. With this lovely little privledge, we had to make him a poster with all his favorite things on it, so needless to say it was filled with quads, monster trucks, beach pics with him and Bugga, fishing with daddy and so much more. We brough cupcakes to school and he had to lead the class in the pledge of alligence and had to explain his poster board. His teacher video-taped it so here it goes, sorry if the sound is fudged

Monster Jam

2010-02-24T13:04:00.002-06:00

So Gavin is a spaz when it comes to Monster Trucks. Everytime they are on the TV he insists that we "T-Vo" it and he will watch it over and over. He knows every truck by name I might add and sits and yells at the tv with great excitment and determination for his favorite trucks, Gravedigger and Monster Mut. Hes insane. Needless to say, Daddy went and surprised us all by getting Gavin Monster Jam tickets and we were able to take him and have a "Gavin Day". He had a blast and loved every minute and even posed with the drivers afterwards. Too cute!

Thanksgiving!

2010-02-24T12:58:00.003-06:00

Ok so I have been waaaaaaay delayed in updating my poor neglected blog! So here is my feeble attempt to catch up!

Thanksgiving was awesome! We spent it with the Fish's as we do every year along with the extended Fish family. It was full of laughter, oh so yummy food ( thank you Megs) and lots and lots of chaos, but it was wonderful! Enjoy!

Casey (scotts sis), Megs, Scotts Mom

Gavin and Jack

Elijah and Grady

Gavin and mommy

Halloween

2009-11-09T15:00:00.002-06:00

FallFUN

2009-11-09T14:55:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Gavin

2009-10-12T14:20:00.005-05:00

Dear Gavin,

Happy 4th Birthday BIG BOY!

Just saying your name makes me chuckle. You are by far a light to all those around you.You have such a unique mixture of traits; sweet, loving, sassy, funny, energetic, charismatic, sneaky, flirtatious, sensitive, stubborn, feisty, intelligent, empathetic, caring, extroverted yet at times shy. You are such a joy to have in our lives. From the day you were born you have kept us all smiling and laughing with your raspy little voice and antics. As a baby, your chubby cheeks and rolly-polly thighs and arms were my favorite things and now I look at you and my eyes fill up with tears because you are such a big boy.

Four years old today, where did my chubby little rascal go who used to scream between bites of baby food because I couldn't shovel it into your mouth fast enough? Or the little boy who would vivaciously jump up and down in his crib every morning laughing until we came and picked him up and int he meantime wore his bumper pads next to nothing. Or the little baby who on the day we brought Eli home from the hospital said in his raspy voice (with pacifier still in I might add), "Daddy baby Eeeeeli"! These memories have been replaced with this outstanding young boy who everyday makes me crazy and yet so very proud to call myself his Mommy.

Gavin, as your Mommy I want you to know that you are a gift from God. You are an amazing son and big brother, who daily shows us love in the most genuine from. Your compassion and protective nature for Elijah is admirable. My heart swells with pride and admiration at the boy you have become and the man I know and desire you to be. I pray that the Lord would be a constant working in your life and that as you grow you would seek after Him and strive to be the man He has woven you to be. We love you so much!

Some of our favorite Gavin Pics!

Lovebirds!

2009-09-14T14:31:00.002-05:00

Let me just start this post by saying how much Gavin loves "His" Camden. They met at Gavin's old school and hit it off and all I can say is, "WOW"!!! They are two of the silliest kids ever! The two of them have their adult like conversations, sit together, and non stop laughing. Since Gavin and Camden will not be at the same school anymore, her mother and I knew it was a matter of time before we had to re-unite! Enjoy the pics of their summer fun!

Cali Part 1

2009-09-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

So as we ventured off to Cali, we were blessed enought to be able to stop and stay in Phoenix to spend some time with some amazing people. First off, I was able to vist and stay with one of my best friends from college and sorority, Randi and her family. It was so awesome to see her in person and be able to give her a HUGE hug. I have missed her terribly and sometimes our frequent phone calls leave alot to be desired. Randi's little girl Ryann and Gavin hit it off and of course were BFF within minutes.

We also were able to meet up with our friends the LaFlamme's. Kelly and I went to high school together and got re-connected over the internet and our friendship has blossomed from there. Both of our children face challenges in regards to their health and to make a LOOOOONG story short, both her daughter Kylie and Elijah have Mitochondrial Disease. Who would have thought that we would have reconnected after all these years and to have such a unique connection. Her family and her friendship is and has been a huge blessing not only to me but to my family.

Overall, I left Phoenix feeling like a lucky girl to have two such amazing girls in my life that are more like family than friends. Love you Owsley's and LaFlamme's!!

Kelly and I

Kylie and Bugga
The group

Ry and Gav

Sweet Randi

Love you

2009-09-03T16:30:00.001-05:00

Hi Babe! I know its late coming but I wanted to wish you a Happy 7 yr Wedding Anniversary! I cant believe we have been married 7 yrs and have two amazing little boys to share our lives with. We have been through SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much, and through it all, you have always been my rock and my best friend. Thank you for loving me so much, for being patient with my sensative and goofy ways, and for loving our family so deeply. Your love for me, our boys and the Lord is something to be respected and appreciated. We love you so very much and I look forward to many more years of driving you batty! LOL! Love you babe!

Bday Bash

2009-07-29T19:36:00.002-05:00

We recently celebrated our friend Josh's 30th birthday bash! It was Lueau ( totaly butchered the spelling) them so it was so fun dressing up! The kiddos had a blast seeing their little friends and of course we always enjoy the time that we get to spend with our dear friends, Jamie and Josh! Happy 30th Joshie!!!

Boy time

2009-06-08T13:45:00.001-05:00

Gavin David

2009-05-28T09:57:00.001-05:00

Mike took these funny pictures of Gavin before he headed to school for one of his last weeks at Kidz World.He insisted on dressing himself, I might have to add he did a good job minus the cheesy demeanor! He is such a ray of sunshine and always seems to make me laugh. His sweet, gentle and caring nature is something to be admired. I'm in shock that before we know it he is going to be 4yrs old!!! YIKES!!! That is too big boy for my likings! You are one special and very loved little boy Gavin David!!!

Kenny Chesney

2009-05-28T09:53:00.001-05:00

So what can I say other than this concernt was amazing!!! Kenny came out to where we were all tailgating and jumped into the hot tub that we were sitting next to, and along the way grabbed my friend Michelle's hand =) It was one of those moments that you will never forget! Im just excited that I was able to be apart of it!

Too Funny

2009-05-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

Crazy Elijah

2009-04-27T14:28:00.002-05:00

So Elijah now has this obsession with the windows and window seals, oh and pushing out the screens! So fun! Anyhow, I caught him red handed the other day up to no good! Enjoy!

Visit w Shell

2009-04-27T14:26:00.001-05:00

Auntie Michelle visited a few weeks back and we had the best time and of course the obys were soooo excited to see her! It was so nice just to have her around and chat and spend time together! We love you Shell and miss you already!

Michelle got to go to one of Elijah's horse therapy sessions

He loves her

1st Movie

2009-03-30T14:46:00.003-05:00

So this weekend we attempted the first big trip to the movies with Gavin! We really wanted him to have some time with just Mommy and Daddy, so we dropped Elijah off at Auntie Megs house for nap time and took Gavin to go see the aliens vs monsters movie.

He was so cute! He picked out his favorite flavor of slurpee and some poppy-corn as he likes to call it. We went and sat down and he was hooked. He watched the entire movie with no real interruptions for chatter or bathroom etc. If anything I was trying to shoosh him cause he was laughing so loud at the funny scenes, or at least what is funny to a 3yr old.

When the movie was over, he politely thanked us and we headed out. When we were walking across the parking lot to the car we asked him again if he had fun at the movies and he replied, "Yeah it was so much fun, but the movie was weird'! LOL! Crazy kid!

Firehouse Fun

2009-03-24T14:11:00.002-05:00

This past week I took the kids and met up with some friends at a local Firehouse where they were going to give a tour to the kiddos. It was great! We really wanted to do this for Gavin as he has had some anxiety about Firetrucks and Ambulances ever since they have come to the house on several occasions because of Elijah's seizures. He has begun to associate the trucks with taking Elijah away and we were beginning to get worried. He is such an empathetic child and I feel so blessed as a Mommy to have such a sweet little boy and such a great big brother for Elijah.

So, on the way there Gavin expressed some concerns of being afraid for Elijah etc and I was beginning to worry that it may not be the kind of morning I had hoped for but once we go there and he saw his friend and the firemen he was pumped!

The firemen let him look around in the ambulance and climb in the trucks and Gavin even offered up his services to help them clean the firetruck! Silly kid! He just has an obsession with the tires =)

All in all it was a great morning and I'm so glad that we go to go an experience it!

Balancing!

2009-03-24T14:03:00.002-05:00

Ok so as some of you know Elijah HATES to be "unstable" so to speak. He still has that infant feeling of falling because his nervous system being immature, and never likes to be spun, thrown (that's a daddy thing) or balancing on objects. If he feels unstable he usually loses it. So, the other day in therapy after he got all of his new tape on, his therapist Heather decided it was time to test the balancing thing again. I had begun to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for some serious waterworks and kicking fits, but to my surprise this is what he did..he SMILED! It was awesome. Both Heather and I looked at each other and laughed we were so excited! I wanted to yell out, "Way to go Eli, Mommy's so proud!" but then decided against that thinking that my yelling like a mad woman would probably terrify the kid while he's trying to balance and most likely not produce the results from him that I would have wanted! =) We are so proud of him, this balancing had been a long time coming for our little guy! "Whoo-hooo Elijah!"

Dog food vs Toys

2009-03-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

Crafty

2009-03-09T14:56:00.002-05:00

Hello there! I have been tapping into my artsy side lately, and have been back to painting! I love to paint and draw but just don't seem to always have the time. However, recently I was able to paint letters for my niece Peyton who will be due this week and it was so much fun being able to use pink, cause lets face it, I don't EVER get to use pink! I also painted letters for one of my best girlfriends back in California for her shower. Her son Jude is due in about 7 weeks and his nursery theme is Dr. Seuss!

I really enjoyed making both of these and I hope that I can do more. So, with that said if any of you have the desire to have these done personalized for your kiddos, or a friend or know someone who would like to have these done please pass along my name. I'm trying to earn extra money on the side and found that this is a great outlet for extra money and for me to do something that I love.

Hope you enjoy!!!!!!

Hearing Aids!

2009-02-17T10:24:00.003-06:00

So the day finally arrived and Elijah got his hearing aids. He is doing sooooo well with them and never pulls them out or anything! He is looking around at noises when they occur and responding to them much faster. It is so great and we are so very happy for our sweet angel! Watch out, because now he is going to be a chatty-cathy like Gavin!

Mommy Brain

2009-02-12T15:11:00.003-06:00

I have completely come to the realization that with each passing kid, they suck away your brain power! I feel like the mornings are crazy enough getting us all up, showered, dressed, fed, Gavin off to school and Elijah ready for morning therapy. The only thing I have to keep me going so to speak and energize me is my amazing cup of coffee. The other morning I poured my cup of piping hot coffee and then somewhere along the way of picking up a sippee cup that Elijah chucked across the kitchen as a statement of wanting more pancakes, or Gavin pop-quizzing me as to what is in his lunch, or the puppies attempting to break through the glass on the backdoor, I neglected my precious cup of coffee.

I saw it sitting there oh-so-lonely on the counter, now cold. I thought to myself, "Urrr!" and decided to re-heat my coffee. Again, somewhere along the way some other life altering event occur ed and I forgot where I placed my coffee...did I drink it???Hmmm??? I must have drank it? To sum up this story, I went to heat Elijahs raviolis (FOR HIS DINNER SNACK I MIGHT ADD) and low and behold, there is my full cup of coffee. Sitting in the microwave, cold and neglected. WOW! I'm losing it!

Couch Potato

2009-02-04T13:50:00.002-06:00

Elijah has been so cute with his blue chair! It was Gavin's chair when he was little and I brought it out of hibernation, sewed up a few holes and here it is! He loves sitting in it to watch his shows and he looks so big boy doing so. Its crazy to think that this was Gavin's because looking at Gavin sit in it reminds me of how big boy he is and hes not that little baby anymore =( sniff sniff.

Ice Storm

2009-02-04T13:46:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I know that the ice storm was a week or so ago and I am WAY delayed on getting these pictures up. However, better late than never right?

Looking down our street in the morning

So pretty

Its an ice tree!

Sidewalk was complete ice, plants were frozen, it was neat.

Icicles hanging from the swingset. And no thats not snow on the ground, its ice!

Daring Elijah

2009-01-26T15:01:00.002-06:00

Elijah is so funny! He has been working so hard on taking steps (supported of course) with us and his therapists. He now has learned to walk his way up the wall and support himself and walk along the wall. He will then do a quick flip around and lean against this and shake his arms and fists like a wild man because he is so excited! It is a hoot! He brings a smile to our faces everyday and warms our hearts with his determination. With these pictures below, he had gotten himself by the front door and when Mike and I came over to see him he got sooooooo excited and sooooo proud of himself, that Mike and I were belly laughing and just had to get the camera. I hope that you enjoy these and laugh as much as we did. Way to go Eli!!

This is my "I'm up to something face."

Now Im losing it with laughter cause Im so proud of myself!

Here I go!

Whew! Im pooped but still cute!

My 3 Boys!

2009-01-22T16:19:00.001-06:00

Silly Boys

2009-01-22T16:16:00.001-06:00

Gavin and Jobe thought that getting themselves into this position was funny...too bad they couldnt get out!!!!!!!

Spin Cycle

2009-01-19T15:30:00.003-06:00

The other day I was out and Mike had the realization that he did not have a visual on the boys? Where were they? Hmmmm? Well this is where Mike found them...watching the spin cycle! Apparently watching the spin cycle is the new craze and we are just way out of the loop! Nice how they are looking at him like he is the weird one! =)

Shell My Bell

2009-01-12T15:32:00.003-06:00

Soon after Christmas my best friend Michelle flew in from California to spend some time with us. I cant tell you the anticipation that led up to her arrival. It has been a homesick and challenging few months and to be able to see her in person and have her give me a big hug in the reassuring way that she does meant the world to me. Gavin was so excited to see her he about took her down to the ground when he leaped into her arms at the airport. He misses his Auntie Shell just as much as I do. Although he talks to her and Uncle Andrew on the phone every other day, its so wonderful to be able to have that piece of home in the flesh.
We had a great trip and got to spend some great time together and she was able to get her Gavin and Elijah fix. It meant alot to me to have her come here and the goodbye was bitter sweet. I cried, Gavin cried and poor Mike didn't know who to console first! LOL! Saying goodbye to a piece of home is never easy. I can only rest assure that I will see her soon! (sooner than I thought cause I get to go home in Feb) Wahooooo!
Thank you Michelle for coming. For giving of your time and money and friendship. You always lead me back around to a point of being ok even when everything around me is in disarray and fearful. God has blessed me with our very special friendship and to be able to be apart of your life for the past 14years. I love you Michelle-My-Bell! Daphnes, Del Taco and Renaissance here we come!

New Year

2009-01-07T10:40:00.004-06:00

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Hebrews 5: 13-16

I pray that all of you will begin this new year, this new chapter in your life with a new heart and a desire for love, for eachother and for the Lord. We are all so blessed even admist our trials and we need to always keep in mind that we are here to shine, to love, to encourage, to give, to forgive and to be a light to the world. I pray that you all will begin this new year with a refreshed outlook and joy. I love you all and wish you an over abundancy of blessings this coming year!

Christmas 08

2008-12-30T14:26:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

We hope that everyone had a fantastic Christmas this year! This was our second Christmas in Texas as we arrived Sept 07. It was so nice and so much fun! We started off by baking a Birthday cake for baby Jesus. Gavin had so much fun and it was so heartwarming to see him understand and acknowledge the meaning of Christmas. When Mike and I began the countdown to sing Happy Birthday, Gavin chimed in and said, "But wait!!! Wheres baby Jesus, its His birthday cake?" So sweet! We then spent Christmas Eve with some pretty fabulous friends and then had an even better Christmas day and evening, although we did miss our friends and family back home. Overall, it was great and we are so very blessed to have the life that we do and I'm very much anticipating 2009!

Funny Story

2008-12-24T13:32:00.002-06:00

I know that I already told a funny Gav story below, but I just HAD to tell this one! So, me and the boys were in the store doing last minute shopping. We were perusing the aisles and I was stressed and sweating (even though it was like 30 something degrees out). Anyhow, I was getting ready to venture up another aisle when I heard a "CRASH"! I of course quickly looked in the direction of the loud noise with some confidence cause my toddler was at my side, and saw these two ladies in their 40's or so giggling together because they had knocked something off the shelf and it shattered on the floor. Whew! Wasn't my kid. I turned to complete my shopping and Gavin stopped, looked at the two ladies who were still giggling and attempting to pick up their mess, put his hands on his hips in an assertive manner and said, "(sigh)! Are you serious!!!!!!!!!!UUUGGGHHH!!!" I freaked! Who does he think he is! Grabbed him by his hood and yanked him into the aisle with me. I couldn't stop laughing! He sounded just like I do when I'm irritated when he drops or runs into something and I usually ask him with a sigh if he is serious. The ladies thought his scolding and disapproval of their damage was hilarious and burst into laughter again, as well as the crowd of people around us. I think my body temperature shot back up again, but I just had to laugh!

Storytime

2008-12-21T08:35:00.003-06:00

Hello! I have to say the we all know the phrase that kids say the darnedest things?! Well this is a good one!

So we were at Church last night and we had done our usual rounds of dropping of the kids in their separate rooms. We made our way into church and then I came back out and into the nursery to check on Elijah because he had been crying when we dropped him off.

As I walked into the nursery I saw that the door to Elijah's room was closed, that means the waterworks were in progress. I made my way over to his room and along the way I heard Gavin's class having their Christmas party and he was chatting the ear off of the teacher (surprise surprise) that he calls "Grandma", too cute. So I took a second to pause and listen in on what he was telling her (Elijah had already melted so a few extra seconds wouldn't hurt?) =) As I spyed on Gavin's little party I heard him telling the teacher, "My Auntie Shell is comin. My Auntie Shell is comin!" The teacher replied, "Oh really, Auntie Shell?? Shes coming??" Like the poor teacher is supposed to know who "Shell" is. Gavin seeming to get a little frustrated at this point because the teacher didn't know Auntie Shell replied, "YESSSSS my Auntie Shell is comin! She is comin to my house! She is comin to play with me for a little while!" The teacher giggled and said,"Ohhh your Auntie Shell is comin!" Gavin had this look of pure agitation and said,"YEAH that's what I said, my Auntie Shell...uugghh!!!!!" By this point myself and another teacher were both listening in and we both could not contain ourselves from laughing. She too thought Gavin was hilarious and so animated. I couldn't stop from giggling and thought to myself that Gavin is such a piece of work!

Oh, and yes I did go get Elijah. He stopped crying and smiled once I picked him up. Little stinker!

Showtime!

2008-12-18T17:04:00.002-06:00

Gavin had his Christmas show at school last night and it was a hoooot!! It was so adorable watching all of these little kids sing and dance and play instruments so enthusiastically. We were a little nervous about Gavin because when we took him into his classroom he started to cry saying he didnt want to sing...oh geeze! So when we saw him walking down the aisle to walk onto stage and he was smiling ear to ear and being such a ham, waving to everyone as he passed, we were relieved. He even waved to us from the stage saying "Hi Mom and Dad'! (see pic @ bottom). It was great! We enjoyed every minute of it and cant wait to see him to it again next year! Our Gavin is becoming such a big boy!!!!!!!!

Meet Maggie

2008-12-16T13:01:00.000-06:00

Where is Eli?

2008-12-15T13:16:00.001-06:00

Brave Eli

2008-12-10T09:44:00.002-06:00

Thank you for all of your prayers and support for Elijah and his surgery yesterday. Everything went great and we are soooo very excited to see how this all works out for him. You are all such a blessing to our lives and especially little Elijah! If you haven't had a chance you can go to his Caring Bridge site to view details about his day!

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sweetelijah

Brotherly Love

2008-12-10T09:29:00.002-06:00

So it took me like 5 shots to get this one! As I was loading these pics it warms my heart to know that whatever trials come our way, whatever joyous moments we share, we have eachother and they have eachother. We are a lucky bunch of Bullards!

My Photos

2008-12-04T17:05:00.000-06:00

Some recent pics I took of the boys! SO cute!

Hope

2008-12-03T15:02:00.001-06:00

I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121: 1-8

1st Haircut

2008-12-02T15:05:00.001-06:00

Not so sure about this??

Mom...I cant see you...
Are you done yet?

SOOOO Handsome!

Flashback Fri.

2008-11-21T10:03:00.003-06:00

SWEET ELIJAH 1wk

GAVIN DAVID 2 months

Gavin 7 months

So Proud

2008-11-13T14:22:00.003-06:00

Gavin is always wanting to help Elijah with all of the little tasks that he is learning to do. Elijah is now learning to drink from a straw and Gavin wanted so badly to help his brother. In my mind I'm thinking, ok this is going to be a disaster and I'm going to have to change two outfits instead of one, but Gavin did so very good and was so patient and sweet to Elijah. He sat there the whole time helping Elijah put the straw in his mouth and encouraging him to drink. It was seriously the sweetest thing ever! They love each other and I'm so very proud of them!

Here is Gavin helping Elijah...

...AND then here is Gavin helping himself! LOL!

Bailey Trip

2008-11-10T14:53:00.003-06:00

Mike's childhood best friend since the 9Th grade, Bailey, came out to Texas finally!!!! j/k We had a great time with him showing him the sites, visiting some parades, parks, yummy TX BBQ, sadly a hospital visit for Eli where he did a great job occupying Gav man and a huge support for us. The best is that he and Mike played I don't even know how many countless hours of Tiger Woods Golf, dorks!

Bailey went home today, sniff sniff. We are going to miss him terribly but look forward to seeing him soon. We love you Uncle Bailey!

Halloween!

2008-11-03T08:21:00.002-06:00

We had such a great Halloween! The kids ate pizza and we trick-or-treated and then hung out in our front yard watching the kids play and hand out candy. It was a great night and so funny to see the kids be so independent and into walking up to the front doors to get candy. So much fun!

Tatum (fisherman), Gavin (air force pilot a.k.a Iceman), Elijah and Sam(monkeys), Jack (army man) Emily (kitty cat) and Jobe is in the back hiding from camera, he was a dinosaur

School Days

2008-10-31T08:57:00.001-05:00

Harvest Fun

2008-10-29T16:29:00.003-05:00

We recently attended a fun Harvest Festival at church. The kids had a blast playing the games, eating cotton candy and riding the rides, especially the train. It was a really nice afternoon spent with family and friends.

Gavin and his lady friend Brooklynn, they were so excited!

They Love eachother!

Happy Bday

2008-10-27T14:26:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Auntie Adriane! (a.k.a. Auntie Pop) Wish we could be there in person to give you big hugs! We Love you!

Halloween Time

2008-10-27T14:13:00.001-05:00

Some super cute pics of the boys first Halloweens! Wahooo! Only a few more days!

Boys & Toys!

2008-10-24T14:38:00.002-05:00

Gavin has his remote control hummer that he brought from Cali. Its great! He can drive it, OR we have a handheld remote control where we can drive him in it. It is too fun! Anyhow, he loves it so it has unfortunatley found its home in my half empty den. He loves to push people around in it especially Elijah ( I just think its because he is so light. ha!ha!). Here are some cute pictures of them cruising around the house having a blast together!

Cool Dudes

I love this picture
Faster Gavin! Faster!

Teamwork!

Brave Boy

2008-10-18T14:23:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone. As most of you already know Elijah has suffered several seizures in the last month. They have not been able to put him on anti-seizure medications because he had to have a series of seizures to do so. On Saturday the 11th he suffered another big seizure and was rushed by ambulance to Children's Hospital. At that point they started him on Phenobarbital. Praise the Lord!!!! He was sent home and scheduled for an E.E.G. that following Thursday. Between Saturday and the day of his study he had two more seizures. Mike and I hardly slept. It was so scary just not knowing when or how bad they were going to be and Thursday could not come fast enough. All I could do was pray. Pray that the Lord would give these doctors the knowledge to provide us with answers and that He would give Elijah and our family a sense of peace during these uncertain times.

On Thursday Elijah went in for his scheduled E.E.G. We were instructed to not let him sleep more than 5-6 hrs the night and day prior to the study as they needed him to sleep for the study. WOW, that was hard but Elijah was such a good sport about it. We kept him up until midnight the night before and then woke up at 5:30am the next morning and had to keep him up. Needless to say I am sure that all of you can assume how not fun keeping up an 18 month old is for that long.

We went to his study at noon on Thursday and were done within 2hrs. They placed over 26 sensors on his head and then finally we were able to let him sleep. The poor little guy crashed. When the test was all over we had to head to his Neurologist in Plano to go over the results and to discuss his medication.

The Neurologist reviewed his study and his last MRI. She said because of his brain damage, he is going to have these seizures for the rest of his life. The type of seizures that he is having are called, "Generalized Tonic-Clonic (grand mal) seizures." She also stated that the left and right side of his brain are not communicating well, but again she said not surprising because of the nature of his damage. He was taken off the Phenobarbital and placed on Keppra which is another anti-seizure medication because the Pheno. was causing him drunken like behavior and can over time cause poor muscle tone. She took him off as she did not want to undo all of the progress in his weight and therapy by keeping him on this medication.

By the end of the day we were wiped. Physically, mentally, but most of all emotionally. It is every parents desire to have a healthy child and when that is not the case, it is saddening and frightening. However, Elijah was so very brave and always has been. God has given him a spirit that touches all of our hearts. Many of times I am brought to tears in utter worry and saddness for my little Elijah, but then I look at him and all that he has already accomplished and endured with a smile on his face and that alone encourages me to be brave and have hope despite my own personal fears and worries. Elijah's strength ceases to amaze me.Thank you to everyone who has supported us and prayed for us throughout this time. We are so very grateful for your love and faith.

" We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1Thessalonians 1: 3-4

The not so fun part

Sleeping peacefully
Sleeping with Daddy

All done!!

Birthday Boy

2008-10-13T10:53:00.002-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Gavin! We love you so much and we cannot believe that you are now 3 YEARS OLD!!!!! You are a joy to our lives and all of the people you come into contact with. You make us laugh everyday and we love you so very much.

Love, Daddy, Mommy and Elijah

Pumpkins

2008-10-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch recently with some fabulous friends! There were animals galore, hayrides, lots of photo-ops, and lots of fun! Enjoy!

Hilarious!

2008-10-02T13:05:00.002-05:00

OK so these two pics do tell a story. Our friend Jeff came over one night and Gavin was having a grand old time following him around and chilling with the big boys. When it became time to have dessert Gavin was soooooooo very excited about his treats that we had bought at the store. So, we gave Gavin his dessert and he plopped next to Jeff on the couch to watch TV and eat his much desired treats. Then out of nowhere sneaky little Elijah crept along the couch and when Gavin wasn't looking he STOLE one of the cookies!!!! SO FUNNY! Poor Gavin didn't think it was too funny and he was devastated that Eli had dared to take his treat. We, however could not stop laughing and you will see why! Ah brotherly love!

Gavin and Jeff pre-treat stealing occured

LOL!!!

Play Time

2008-09-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

Gavin had a fun play date recently with one of his little buddies Tatum. They were to cute. These two little blondies running around the park. Here are some cute pics!

We are so fun!

Wheeeee!
Its hard work being a little kid!

Grateful

2008-09-29T16:13:00.004-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to a few people.

First I want to say Thank you to my husband. Despite the challenges that have faced us this past year and the ones that still are present in our day to day, I thank you for always being there, to listen, to bounce things off of (even though half of the time I think you look at me like I am a person from outer space) , to encourage me when I am down, to point out my flaws and help me to improve, for being my balance and being strong for us when I cannot, for being a "real person", for always being apart of our boys lives and loving them, for giving baths at night (he!he!) but most of all for loving our Lord and Savior as much as I do and for encouraging our boys to follow in His ways. I thank you and love you.

Secondly thank you to my girls. You girls encourage me day in and day out and you always have. You have always been there to be a shoulder to cry on, to again encourage me to be a better person, to encourage me in my walk with the Lord, to laugh when I want to cry, to make me wear silly boas around my neck to dinner, for allowing me to be me, for always being true and honest, for attempting to stop me from moving out of the O.C. ( Lol, sorry that one didn't work), So thank you for being Amazing, Mature, Honest and True, loving me, loving the Lord, straight up AMAZING WOMEN! You are my rock, I love you more than words!

Busy!! Busy!!

2008-09-10T15:45:00.002-05:00

Well it was a busy beginning of the week for us Bullards. Gavin had his first day of school, he looked so big boy it made me sad...Mike just laughed at me =) He cried for a bit but then his buddy Jobe and Reimee came into class and that seemed to calm him down. The teacher sent home a good report and that he had no potty accidents, Wahooo!!! The only minor mis-hap was that he refused to do the finger painting activity. Shocker, seeing that the child hates being dirty. All in all a good time!
Also, my big sister Shaunna and her two kids are here for a week and a half, Sydnee who is 5yrs old and Caden who is 2 1/2. The cousins are all having fun wreaking havoc and playing with each other. Eli loves getting involved with them and Gavin and Caden look like they were separated @ birth cause they look so much alike! Holy smokes....having 3 kids under the age of 3 can be quite entertaining, good thing we have mother hen Sydnee to help!

Lake Texoma

2008-09-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

We had such a great time at the lake. Some minor mis-haps with mother nature and her friendly creatures, but if you want a better play-by-play of all of that, then go to my home screen and click on Megan's blog called "The Fish Tank", that will definitely fill you in!! Enjoy

Play Date

2008-08-27T14:10:00.001-05:00

Here are some cute pics from a playdate we had!

Gavin and Emily
Elijah and Emily's baby brother Sam

Home Again

2008-08-18T15:16:00.004-05:00

This past week has been amazing! Some of our best friends, The Shubins (Michelle and Andrew) came to Texas for the week. We were able to have pool dates, many zoo excursions, waterfalls, laughter, tears and some more laughter. It was the best just having the secure and loving feeling of home. It was a fantastic time spent with some pretty amazing people and we already miss them tons, especially the kids.

Gavin was in heaven having them here and felt it was his duty to wake them up everyday for breakfast and play, as well as learning some new "Andrew phrases"!Poor Shubins are probably exhausted! =) So, thank you Shubies for taking the time out of your already insane lives to come out here and play with us! We love you!

Laughing

2008-08-11T16:13:00.002-05:00

Ok so I have decided to share some fabulous news with ya'll!!! Elijah ate an entire jar of babyfood the other day for the first time. He was smiling in the pics we took of him, either because he was proud of himself OR because his mommy looked like a complete spaz jumping around and cheering for him. (I think it was the later of the two) LOL!

Also, big boy Gavin decided that he was going to finally go "poo-poo" on the potty. He came running downstairs telling us that he went poo-poo and that he gets a sucker! We were doubtful of any truth behind this story (sorry, he usually tells us hes gone so he can get candy, so this time we needed proof), so we ran upstairs and checked, and there it was in all its glory!!!!! Wahooooo for Gavin!!! And by the way, he did get his sucker! Fun times as always in the Bullard household!

Mom Vs. Dad

2008-08-06T16:44:00.002-05:00

Ok so I was going to do one of those scales of "Which parent does your child look most like." However, I opted for the real test...some good old fashioned baby pics! I will have to leave the judging up to all of you! Enjoy or laugh...whatever suits you!!! =)

Mike is the small one in middle w his brother Jeff and Dad

Aggh baby Mike
Here I am, Baby Breanne
Look at my cheeks!
Me (on left) and my sister Shaunna

Elijah Week

2008-07-31T17:59:00.004-05:00

Well this has been quite the week for baby Elijah. He underwent hormone testing on Tuesday which was a pretty rough experience. They couldn't get an I.V. started (shocker) so they stuck him over 6 times before calling it quits and ended up giving him the hormone Cortisol through a a big shot in his leg. Poor little guy cried and cried. After a few hours they came back into the room to draw the blood, seeing that they didn't have an IV they pricked his finger and squeezed and dripped the blood into a vile, and they repeated this until the entire tube was filled.
It is possibly one of the worst feelings, sitting there helpless why your baby has to endure so much. We will get the results of the hormone testing in about a week and then we will just have to go from there.
Seeing that the hormone testing wasn't enough he had to go into the Dr today to get his 12 month baby shots. I know you are thinking, "12 months, but he is 16 months"? And you are correct. He was so sick and underweight for so long they wouldn't give him his shots until now. He again cried and screamed and looked at me like, "enough already"!!!!!!
So with all this going on he still had his therapies which I might add he did very well at. He did get frustrated today in speech/feeding therapy with Ms. Cindi because she was trying to help him get the star puff into his mouth and he wanted to do it on his own, what a big boy!
All in all it has been quite the week and we get to repeat it again next week cause he goes to Dallas Children's Hospital to meet with another geneticist and metabolic doctor. Please keep us in your prayers that we can endure and at the same time be peaceful and happybecause these visits are very wearing on both of us. However, he is our little fighter and staying positive is the best thing I can do!=) Below are some FANTASTIC pics of Eli learning how to eat!!

Oldies

2008-07-29T16:19:00.001-05:00

My Boys

2008-07-28T11:49:00.002-05:00

So where does the time fly? Gavin and Elijah are getting so big and seem to do new things everyday! Gavin starts school again in September and is such a BIG BOY now. His vocabulary and manners astound me, he is now in big boy underwear and he makes me laugh sooooo hard everyday. Elijah has gained 2 pounds and is now pulling himself up and walking around the coffee table/ottoman. He has such a spirit and smiles and giggles all day. Everyday Mike and I look at them and say "Holy cow, they are becoming little men before our eyes". We are so so so very blessed.

Lake Time!

2008-07-22T18:00:00.001-05:00

We had such a great time at Lake Ray Roberts this past weekend. It was so beautiful and such a great time!

Friends

2008-07-21T17:58:00.001-05:00

Some cute pics of the boys!

4th of July

2008-07-06T20:19:00.004-05:00

We had a great 4th of July! We went to our good friends the Kwait's house and BBQ'd and then went to watch the fireworks show! It was a great day and night! Lots of great food, friends, laughter and memories!

Sun Fun!

2008-07-02T16:33:00.006-05:00

It has been such beautiful weather here this past week! Fabulous! So we have been taking advantage of it and have become quite the little sun bunnies.

We had a wonderful pool day yesterday with my dear friend Elizabeth. (shes the SUPER tan one in the pics just in case you were thinking that might be me...its not...but I wish) =) Gavin was in school so Elijah got all of the attention from us and had so much fun swimming around.

Today we met with Ashlyn and her daughters at their pool for another pool date. Gavin was missing his dear little friend Raimie so he was very happy about the adventure. The kids all had a blast and Gavin was sooooo good about telling me that he had to go potty, even tough he was in a swim diaper. He became the tinkle champ in the bushes today!! Overall, it has been a fun, sun filled couple of days!!

Good Times!

2008-06-30T13:20:00.004-05:00

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

2008-06-24T16:11:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-06-21T19:37:00.005-05:00

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

2008-06-16T20:07:00.014-05:00

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!

2008-06-09T18:54:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-06-03T18:32:00.003-05:00

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!

So Cal Trip

2008-05-31T21:05:00.004-05:00

Wow! What an eventful trip we had visiting back home in Orange County CA! The airplane ride alone was quite the event! We had some unexpected bad weather in "typical sunny" So Cal and tornado's, TOTALLY RANDOM! All of our friends were joking with us the whole trip saying that we brought Texas weather with us =) The weather was a lil bit of a buzz kill because it was not warm enough to visit the beach and we did get rained out of the happiest place on earth, Disneyland!!However, we did have many other very memorable experiences with our families and dear friends.

We were able to visit with grandparents, cousins, friends, aunties, uncles, great aunts, great uncles and the list goes on and on. During Memorial Day weekend we also were able to attend and blessed enough to be apart of our good friends Mike and Adriane Manzo's wedding. It was beautiful and everything went so smooth. What a night!!

Overall we were so glad that we were able to experience all that we did, even though there may have been some bumps in the road. The family is VERY happy to be home and we are now just trying to get back into the swing of things, but we miss everyone already!

The gorgeous bride Adriane and myself

Me and Holly!
Gavin so EXCITED at Disneyland
Gavin playing Grandma's piano, music runs in the blood!
Uncle Andrew

Papa and Elijah
Grandma and Gavi
My beautiful cousins and Elijah
My cousins
Gavin, Elijah and the Bullard nieces and nephews. SO cute

School Fun

2008-05-15T16:04:00.005-05:00

Gavin's Last Day of School!

OK so I know that there are a TON of pictures but I couldn't help myself! He was so stinking cute! Gavin's last day of school was today and it was pajama day, he was very excited.He loves his classmates and his teachers and it was sad to take him home today, but he will see them again soon! You can see that he is quite the handful but is never short of hilarious!

And the posing begins...

So funny!

Crazy kid

So handsome

Gavins favorite teacher Ms. Annette

Gavin and his adopted big sis Sophie!

Gavin and his class buddies

Gavin and his very special friend Raimie