Friends

Some cute pics of the boys!

4th of July

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!

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!

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