Patrick Paradigms

Fun videos...

2010-09-10T15:43:00.003-04:00

This video is pretty self-explanatory. Jonathan got in the drawer in the kitchen and could not get out. Hilarious...

One of the reasons I love homeschooling...The relationships my older two have with the babies is priceless...

Jaclyn is truly a "girl's girl." She LOVES her "babies" and asks for them as soon as she gets up every morning.

Jonathan LOVES the Wiggles. He especially enjoys dancing with them when they sing. I did not realize until yesterday, though, that he knows all the dance steps to the songs. Here is a short video example. You can't hear the music very well, but watch anyway...

Photography class - Justin

2010-09-10T15:39:00.004-04:00

Justin and Jailyn have been taking a photography class on Fridays. They love it and are doing a wonderful job. These are some of Justin's photos from this week...

Photography class - Jailyn

2010-09-10T15:35:00.002-04:00

These are some of my favorite pictures that Jailyn has taken so far....

SNAKE!!!!

2010-09-10T15:31:00.002-04:00

There are very few things I hate more than snakes. Lange was outside a few weeks ago and saw this hanging outside a small hole in the side of our brick going under the house...

He pulled the skin out to reveal this head - all perfectly intact. Yikes!

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Johnny's visit

2010-09-10T15:29:00.000-04:00

Lange's Aunt Sharon and Uncle Johnny stopped in for a short visit on their way through to Florida. They had never met Jaclyn before, so it was a treat for them - and Jaclyn!

The Kentucky State Fair

2010-09-10T15:05:00.002-04:00

The Krispy Kreme hamburger was the "big" food item this year. Justin loved it...

Jonathan and Jaclyn loved the animals in the exhibit area. Jaclyn called all of them "moo."

Lange and Jonathan got to race tricycles after learning about safety from some policemen.

School and new therapies

2010-09-10T11:09:00.006-04:00

homeschool lunch at Chic Fil A - no homeschooler is complete without it

Hooray! SO proud of his work

Jaclyn has taken up cooking while I homeschool. She's a natural...

She is also doing my grocery shopping since I am busy with the others.

We still have to go to Kosair for occasional abdominal x-rays. Jonathan doesn't mind it too much, though, now that we can go to this amazing new facility on Brownsboro Road.

We lost internet access at home the first week of school - and Justin and Jailyn are doing online schooling this year. SO...we ended up at our church trying to work - which mostly ended up in playing as seen in the photo above. Justin found these vests and enjoyed himself immensely at my expense...

Jonathan's wonderful time with First Steps and their awesome therapists ended when he turned three. He is now taking OT with hippo therapy at Green Hill- about 5 miles from our house. His therapist Mrs. Jane is incredible. She works with him on fine motor skills for 30 minutes ever week, then he gets to ride a horse and do fun things for 30 minutes. He LOVES it!

Mrs. Jane and Jonathan

Working hard...

Scoop and pour at home "school" time

VACATION!!

2010-09-10T10:32:00.007-04:00

We had the wonderful privilege of spending time with both families in NC the end of July and beginning of August. While we were there, we also celebrated Jonathan's 3rd birthday. Because I had my hands full, I don't really have very many good pictures. This first picture is at Lake Gaston where we spent the day with Lange's entire family. It was WONDERFUL! We had birthday cake and opened presents. This is Jonathan with Grandmama seeing his "choo-choo" and cake.

The view from the lake house - beautiful!

Lange's parents and Brad - my nephew - and Julie - my sister-in-law

Jailyn and Justin with my nephew Brandon and Lee - Lange's brother

We left Goldsboro and met my family at Ocean Isle Beach where we spent a few days. Jonathan and Jaclyn had never seen the ocean before. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that trip.

playing on the bed

trying to look "cool"

Memommy and Jaclyn

I have an identical picture to this one from about six years ago with Justin and Jailyn and my niece Chloe - only now it is MY little one with them

investigating the sand castle

my family - funny story - it was like a sandstorm out there when we went to take pictures

Fun summer pictures

2010-07-01T22:29:00.002-04:00

Jaclyn's 1st birthday

2010-07-01T22:23:00.002-04:00

Day Four, Treasure Cay, Bahamas

2010-06-18T21:27:00.008-04:00

We REALLY took it easy on the fourth and final day here in Treasure Cay. Thankfully, we had our power on all day which was wonderful. AND, it was the coolest day of the week by far - only in the low to mid-90's with a little breeze. We slept late and then ate lunch on the beach.

The Coco Beach Grill

After lunch, we walked back to our little villa and rested pretty much all afternoon. Lange went to the beach, but I had all the sun I needed. We cleaned up late in the day and went to the only "real" restaurant in Treasure Cay - Spinnaker's. We had no idea you were supposed to have reservations, but we walked right in and got a table. The food was the best we had all week. A perfect way to end our vacation.

After dinner, we walked on the beach one last time. We barely missed the sunset, but the view was still beautiful. We would have stayed longer, but the mosquitos were eating us.

The area of the ocean outside our villa is called the Sea of Abaco because the outer islands around it form a sort of barrier. It is the most peaceful, beautiful beach of all the islands and has won several awards. We videoed the sounds just so we would remember how wonderful it was...About halfway through the video I saw a fish - maybe a dolphin - surface near us. Pardon the interruption.

Lange did an outstanding job planning this trip. In fact, if we ever came back I would do EXACTLY the same things we did all over again. He has always enjoyed "game-planning" - particularly with regard to travel. I think if music ministry didn't pan out that he could be a trip advisor for people. He is the best! This vacation has been a long time coming. The past year has been unbelievably difficult. I was reminded this week that Jesus also took time out to rejuvenate. He also seemed to prefer the sea or water for relaxation. How incredibly thankful I am to have had this opportunity to rest and de-stress. I am SO ready to see my kids, though.

Day Three, Island hopping by boat

2010-06-18T17:17:00.007-04:00

We rented a small boat on Thursday and hired a guide to take us island hopping, snorkeling, fishing, shelling, etc. Our guide's name was Joe, and he was a native Bahamian who we thoroughly enjoyed. He took Lange right to the fish and even baited his hooks for him. Lange had great - skill (luck, perhaps?) - and caught a lot right away!

Lange and Joe with one of his fish

A common sight here. The locals are poor, but the American tourists are their livelihood. Many Bahamians make a living cleaning yachts like this and tending to the "American's needs."

We ate lunch here on Guana Cay. We got off the boat, and Joe told us where to walk to get to the restaurant. We started down the path, and along comes Joe with a friend of his on a golf cart. We hopped on the back and took off. There was a multi-level deck overlooking the ocean at the restaurant and a pool to swim in while you waited for your food. When we finished eating, along came Joe's friend on the golf cart to take us back to the boat.

Hope Town - Elbow Reef Lighthouse

The view from the top of the lighthouse

Note the sheer terror in my eyes. The lighthouse would not meet American safety standards...

Lange got a beautiful pic of the lighthouse.

One of the most fascinating islands we visited was Man O' War Cay. Look it up on the internet. Many locals here in Treasure Cay told us that most everyone on Man O' War has the same last name - Albury. There are only about 700 on the island, and there is no alcohol allowed there. It is a sort of commune with very few outsiders living there. Most all the people look alike - short and stocky with blonde hair. We tried to explore a little, but it was SO hot we could hardly stand it. There were very few locals out on the streets. We did hear southern gospel music coming from one house. Our boat guide told us that there are more alcoholics on that island than any other. The people get on their boats and "cruise" around and drink... I wish I had gotten a good picture, but I didn't.

There was a storm off in the distance most of the day - with a water spout! Our guide avoided it all day. We snorkeled, too, which was awesome! It was like being inside an aquarium. We also stopped at a small, empty island to look for seashells. The one drawback was the heat. Many places are not air conditioned. In fact, the islands lose electricity almost daily. We were without power almost every night we were here. It doesn't take long to get hot in "tropical weather". We used plenty of sunscreen, though, and only ended up with minor sunburns.

Lange was determined to try spear fishing while we were out on the boat. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical, but he was amazing! I think Joe was even impressed. I got a little carried away when Lange surfaced with a LOBSTER! We ate it for dinner. -- Warning: Joe and I get pretty loud in the video. You might want to turn the volume down...

Only in Treasure Cay would someone offer to cook your fish for you. This kind, Christian man is the husband of a lady named "Mrs. Florence" who is known all over for her cinnamon rolls. We ate breakfast here two mornings and learned immediately of her love for the Lord. Lange stopped in after we got off the boat to buy some peas and rice (a local dish) to go with our fish, and they insisted on preparing our fish for us, too. What a treat!

Lange eating the fish he caught that very day. They were DELICIOUS!!!

Day Two, Marsh Harbor, Hope Town, and the beach

2010-06-18T16:34:00.007-04:00

We decided to rent a car on Wednesday and drive to Marsh Harbor to do some shopping. Treasure Cay - where we stayed - is a bit more remote, and I wanted to get some things for the kids. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the "car" we rented. Let's see if I can describe it appropriately. It was made in the '80's, had no a/c, the speedometer didn't work....Get the picture?

The Bahamian people are so kind, helpful, trustworthy, and for the most part, very religious. Unfortunately, all the rental cars were rented on this day, so a lady at the golf cart rental shop "made a call" for us, and this dude showed up at our door.....What an adventure. The car made it through the day, although we had a pretty major scare about 3:30 that afternoon when it wouldn't crank. Lange finally got it going, thank the Lord.

This is where we ate lunch. The food was WONDERFUL, and we found out later it was a favorite of the locals. They served sweet tea - my favorite - and it was perfect!

These beautiful trees were blooming while we were there.

We encountered this often in the Bahamas. The people are VERY laid back. This was in the door at a souvenir shop in Marsh Harbor.

Palm trees with real coconuts - everywhere here

An example of some of the beautiful houses on the island

Hope Town, Bahamas - we rode a ferry over to this island after lunch

Conch meat is served at nearly every meal here. We tried some. It tastes a little like scallops or squid. Lange videoed this guy pulling the meat out. Interesting, huh?

Hope Town Harbor, Bahamas

Dinner on the water at Captain Jack's - I think I had fish every meal - DELICIOUS!

A sweet end to a beautiful day....

Day One, Flight to Treasure Cay, Bahamas

2010-06-18T16:12:00.004-04:00

Yes, in the span of a little over a month, I - who has a GREAT fear of heights - have flown in a hot air balloon, and now a nine-passenger airplane over the WATER of all things. I don't even like going over bridges at night. I think God is teaching me a new form of trust - TOTAL and COMPLETE trust. As it turns out, Lange and I were the only two passengers. Pretty sure they lost money on us since we only paid $79 apiece to get over to the island. It was really neat, as long as I didn't look down...

The boarding process was hysterical. We had to weigh our luggage and then weigh ourselves. Then, the lady said to just be near her desk about twenty minutes before time to go. Sure enough, about ten minutes before takeoff, two pilots walked up to us and said, "Ready to go?"

The view from the sky - Lange took this picture

SOOO happy to be on the ground. I look pretty tired in this picture. We had only gotten a few hours sleep the night before because of the conference.

BEAUTIFUL Treasure Cay. There truly was NOBODY on the beach.

What a paradise...

Sounds in the plane just before takeoff...

SBC Pastor's Conference, June, 2010

2010-06-18T16:08:00.002-04:00

After depositing all four kids in NC safely, Lange and I flew to Orlando FL to meet up with the rest of the Highview team for the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference. It was MUCH work - and MUCH fun!

A "peek" into mealtimes at our house...

2010-05-24T14:43:00.013-04:00

Our little firecracker

2010-05-13T14:08:00.001-04:00

B-I-G Mother's Day surprise

2010-05-13T13:46:00.006-04:00

Justin and Jailyn have been "crew" members for the Donner family who fly hot air balloons for awhile now. Little did we know that they had been conspiring - and earning - a free trip up for Lange and me on Mother's Day. The weather was PERFECT, and I wasn't nearly as terrified as I would have thought. Lange took these awesome pictures. We took off in Long Run Park and landed right behind our house.

Cincinnati Zoo

2010-05-13T13:40:00.005-04:00

Snack time!

2010-05-13T13:38:00.004-04:00

We put Jonathan's snack up on the high chair so Jaclyn couldn't get it.... so we thought. Little Miss "Smarty Pants" figured it out right away...

One of our favorite things

2010-05-13T13:34:00.003-04:00

We love to eat at out-of-the-way places, and we found this wonderful restaurant on our trip home. I only wished Lange and Justin could have been there to enjoy it with us...

Missouri Trip, April, 2010

2010-05-13T13:21:00.003-04:00

Jailyn, Jonathan, Jaclyn, and I travelled with my parents and my sister Jessica and her two girls to Missouri for a few days to see my grandparents. They have only seen Jonathan a few times, and they had never met Jaclyn.

Our family

The great-grandkids

Dinner at Shoney's with my Uncle John

The newest member of the family

Easter, 2010

2010-04-05T15:59:00.006-04:00

Picnic!

2010-04-05T15:31:00.003-04:00

I spoke at our Mom2Mom group last Wednesday morning, and when I got home with the babies, Justin and Jailyn had prepared a wonderful picnic lunch for us - complete with OREOS!!

Fun videos and a sweet picture

2010-04-05T15:12:00.004-04:00

Sweet Jaclyn loving her daddy

Jonathan has to be one of the most expressive kids I have ever seen. His speech therapist has been working with him on his EQ which has to do with reading others' emotions and interpreting them appropriately.

Bath time fun

Jonathan loves his Pa-Pa!

Jaclyn - 9 months

2010-03-30T16:36:00.001-04:00

March, 2010

2010-03-28T21:52:00.007-04:00

Well, we have made it one whole month without spending time at the hospital. Hooray! Jonathan is doing great! He has grown one and a half inches since Christmas, and our follow-up appointment in Cincinnati was a non-event. The doctor said he doesn't need to see us again unless we have a setback of sorts. Jaclyn is crawling/inchworming her way around and eating table food like a big girl. Justin is preparing to go on his annual missions' trip next week with the youth group, and Jailyn just got to move into her new bedroom in the basement this past weekend. We are almost finished - finally!

We had some family in for a visit last week, and the kids particularly had a blast! Here is a sweet picture of Lauryn Little holding our baby Jaclyn. Lauryn LOVED feeding her a bottle. It was like having a real live baby doll!

The babies made a huge mess at dinner tonight, so I decided to put them in the sinks side-by-side for a quick bath. They were funny! You can see now why some people think they are twins when we are out in public. Jaclyn is not too far behind Jonathan in size.

Jailyn really enjoys taking pictures and has become quite accomplished. Here are a few pictures she took in our yard. I love spring! It has been such a long, hard winter in so many ways. Seeing new growth reminds me of the new life we have in Christ.

Justin and Jailyn have been working for almost a year on this idea to have their own business in our neighborhood called J & J Jobs. Their motto is "Serving and Saving." It has a double meaning, of course. Getting the golf cart last fall has enabled them to be mobile around our house. All the houses in our area sit on five or more acre lots, and many people are retired and travel alot. Justin and Jailyn made their own flyers last week offering their services to people to care for their animals, pool, get their mail when they are out of town, whatever. They put one in every mailbox in our neighborhood saying, "Name your own price." Well, they already have three steady jobs, and the first one is going to pay them $100 the first week. Let's just say they were THRILLED and SO thankful that they did not give the man a price. Justin said, "I was thinking like maybe 25 dollars." Jailyn said, "I was thinking maybe 10 dollars." Lange and I said, "Why didn't WE think of doing this ourselves?!?"

SIGH.....

2010-02-23T16:39:00.002-05:00

Doctor says HOME TOMORROW!!! HOORAY! In the meantime, look at the video Lange sent me of Jaclyn. I have to hurry and get there before she takes off....

"Fun" at the hospital

2010-02-23T10:35:00.007-05:00

sweet little angel

"HI" everybody!

Jonathan LOVES airplanes and trucks.

He sure did wish that was a REAL ice cream cone.

He loves riding with baby sis' in his wagon.

Telling Memommy "bye" before she left

HOORAY FOR JUICE!!!!!

BIG DOUBLE HOORAY FOR FOOD!!!!!!

My Prayer...

2010-02-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

FEBRUARY, 2010

2010-02-20T14:38:00.001-05:00

I believe Jonathan has a strong aversion to holidays and special events. He got his first bowel obstruction on Jailyn's birthday. He spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day in the hospital. After receiving a new surgery date of February 16th, Jonathan decided to scare us to death in the middle of the night on February 12th by waking up vomiting profusely. We took off to Cincinnati as fast as we could - fully thinking this was enterocolitis again and that surgery would be postponed yet another time. He was admitted - knocking off Valentine's Day... As it turns out, though, he had a seriously aggressive stomach bug. How do I know? Well, Jaclyn, Lange, I, Jailyn, my mom, and now Justin have all been very sick in that order this past week. Although it was miserable for us, it gave the surgeons confidence to go ahead with surgery. They removed a whopping 13 inches of colon (I have a picture of it) on Tuesday, February 16th, and we are waiting seven days for Jonathan to have anything to eat or drink. He is healing rapidly, but he is hungry. The nurses are giving him nutrition by a PICC line, but it isn't like eating and drinking. We are thankful to have surgery behind us, but would someone please go ahead and start praying over St. PATRICK'S Day? :-)

Lange and I got engaged in February of 1993. When I really take a look back at all the Lord has brought us through, I am amazed - and thankful - for every single minute. God gave me a partner for life that I sure didn't deserve - at a time in my life when I really didn't care about pleasing HIM. What a gift. Aside from my salvation, I am awed by my incredible husband the most.

He has been faithful to me and our family throughout circumstances that many would have walked away from. In addition to caring for our sick child alongside me all week, Lange drove home last night so he could work in our basement - attempting to complete a huge renovation that we have been working on for almost 8 months. He will stand tomorrow before a congregation of people and lead them to worship the ONE he desires to please above all else. I am grateful to share my life with him.

JANUARY, 2010

2010-02-20T14:32:00.001-05:00

January was pretty much uneventful - aside from twice daily irrigations and life "stuff." We kept Jonathan home as much as possible to keep him well for surgery, and we had ALOT (did I say alot?) of snow!!

"little miss priss" sitting in a high chair for the first time

Jailyn playing basketball

She is a point guard in the making.

Did you call my name?

DECEMBER, 2009

2010-02-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

It has sort of become a tradition that Jailyn sing with Lange and I in our Christmas candelight service each year. She hears harmony really well - particularly high tenor. We sang "Christmas Offering" this year, and it was nice. Her grandma sent her and Jaclyn new outfits to wear during the Christmas season. Aren't they pretty?

Because Jonathan was due for surgery on December 28th, we spent our first Christmas in Kentucky. Lange's parents came early Christmas week and surprised us by bringing Julie, Brandon, and Brad along. It was LOUD and FUN - and those of you who know us Patrick's - we ate WELL!!

Okay, I see a trend developing. Below you will see Jailyn receiving her "favorite" gift and then scroll down to see the joy on Jaclyn's face as she receives HER "favorite" gift.... too funny.

Lange's family left on Tuesday around lunchtime. Until that time, Jonathan seemed to be doing fine. By Wednesday morning, though, he was VERY sick. We took him to Kosair where he was diagnosed with enterocolitis. This is basically gangrene of the intestines. It is a danger with Hirschsprung's disease. What baffles us is that he lived for almost 2 1/2 years without any problems and less than a week before the surgical repair he became deathly ill. We remained at Kosair until Christmas Day when the doctor there felt he could discharge us to go home until we reported to Cincinnati on Monday. Lange was at the hospital with Jonathan, and I was at home busily preparing Christmas dinner - trying to salvage what was left of the holiday. I hopped in the van to go get Lange and Jonathan and left Justin and Jailyn in charge of putting dinner on the table. When we arrived home, this is what we saw:

They had gone to the basement and found Christmas china I had not even put out this year (because things had been so hectic). I could have cried because I already knew Jonathan was not well. He seemed really lethargic on the ride home, and by the time I got him inside I was worried. We took his temperature, and it was 104.5 degrees. We put in a call to the surgeon (on Christmas Day, no less) in Cincinnati and sat down to gobble our food. When Dr. Frischer called back, he told us to get in the car IMMEDIATELY and get to Kosair. He said he would give further instruction after Jonathan was stablized. I jumped back in the van and left a teary Lange, Justin, Jailyn, and Jaclyn and headed back.

My mom and dad were on their way to celebrate Christmas with us - planning to stay for Jonathan's surgery to help the following week. We ended up opening presents that evening in the hospital - while we waited for an ambulance to arrive to take Jonathan to Cincinnati. Jonathan perked up at the hospital once they got another IV in him with heavy medicine and fluids. We still were unsure how serious the situation was. Here we are opening presents in the hospital with my mom and dad. We can make anything fun!

And here we are, saying "goodbye" as we head to Cincinnati.

Once we got to Cincinnati, the surgeon performed numerous abdominal x-rays and bowel irrigations. On Sunday - two days after we arrived - he finally told me that he was scared on Friday night when he first saw Jonathan's x-rays. Jonathan was apparently in bad shape then, but because of his quick action, by Sunday he was on the mend. Unfortunately, though, Jonathan developed a pretty serious case of pneumonia, and they had to postpone surgery indefinitely. Jonathan wasn't even well enough to come home until New Years' Day. But when we got home, we got to celebrate Christmas with our immediate family. How thankful we were - not so much for the material gifts - but for the gift of good health and family close by.

Jonathan LOVES books and animals. My mom got him this GREAT BIG BOOK about animals.

Look beyond the goofy glasses at the braces - another special event in December -sort of a rite of passage into "teenager-hood."

Isn't she cute?

NOVEMBER, 2009

2010-02-20T14:09:00.001-05:00

Well, November got off to a BIG start as my parents drove in to our neighborhood late one night on this....
for Justin's big 13th birthday...

Justin and Jailyn have been begging for a golf cart for two years, and my mom and dad came through in an unbelievable fashion. Needless to say, this was Justin AND Jailyn's birthday present from my parents (and Christmas and New Years....)

We finally broke down and got a dog, too. I found an Aussie mix on Craig's list which is exactly what we had been looking for. Her name is Noel. She was three years old and most importantly FREE!! She has been a great addition to our family....Wonder if anyone fed her today? (Just kidding, sort of)

On Sunday, November 8th, Jailyn was baptized by her daddy alongside some of our close friends in ministry - Nathan and Johnathan Platt. Jailyn had gained assurance of her salvation earlier in the year, and after talking with her and studying Scripture together, she AND we felt she was ready for this important step. The Holy Spirit is evident in Jailyn's life. I have seen some marked changes in her behavior as she daily seeks to please Him.

I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at a ladies' retreat in the mountains of NC on the week of Lange, Justin, and my birthday. We slipped away a few days early and enjoyed our favorite pasttime as a family - hiking in the mountains.

We also visited the Biltmore Estate. Call us crazy! The Biltmore was NOT designed for a double stroller on a rainy day, but we still had a blast. I think it was the BEST time of year to go because we got to enjoy the beauty of the fall leaves, and they had already decorated for Christmas. You can't take pictures inside, so there aren't any to post.

I had wanted to give something meaningful to Justin on this momentous birthday, so the Lord gave me the idea of writing the Proverbs in my own words as a book to him. I presented this to him on his birthday in our hotel room. Lange also gave him a really cool sword and talked to him about the Word of God - our sword - and its importance in the life of any man. I pray he will read the Word and truly internalize it as he grows and matures.

We (especially Lange) enjoy eating in "out of the way" joints. We found this great diner right by the water, but while we were eating we began to notice all the "rules" posted throughout the

restaurant. Jailyn proceeded to take picture after picture. It got really funny before we left. Here are just a few of the MANY signs we saw:

In the meantime, I must not forget to mention Jaclyn who continues to grow, and grow, and grow... I think this was the month when someone asked for the first time if Jonathan and Jaclyn were twins. We think it is due to Hirschsprung's disease, but Jonathan hasn't grown at all in the past year. We are hoping his surgery helps.

Because of Jonathan's health, we decided to stay close to home for Thanksgiving. I haven't mentioned this yet, but we were and are in the middle of a HUGE basement renovation to add 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, and a new laundry room. Lange has worked tirelessly in the middle of the birth of a new baby and a sick child. It has been quite stressful at times, but he has persevered. Oh, yes. We had a sheetrock party the night before Thanksgiving, and I cooked for all the men. SO...we ate Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel. Our parents felt so sorry for us, but we LOVED it!

Jaclyn was asleep in her carrier, and I took the picture - lest you think we stayed home. :-)

October, 2009

2010-02-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

Our sweet Jailyn turned 10 years old on October 7th. Unfortunately, Jonathan, Justin and I ended up at the ER at Kosair Children's Hospital where Jonathan spent several days. Jailyn and Jaclyn got to go to some of our favorite people's house where they celebrated in a huge way. Jailyn loaded up on pizza, ice cream, and giggles. A BIG "thank you" to the precious Melber family for making an otherwise sad day a very memorable one for our girl.

I am amazed at how the Lord continues to teach our family through the circumstances surrounding Jonathan's life. As I was rapidly preparing to leave for the hospital on Jailyn's birthday, I was also apologizing profusely to Jailyn. Here simple yet heartfelt response was, "Oh, don't worry about me, Mom. I just want Jonathan to be okay." Jailyn absolutely adores her brother, and the feeling is mutual. Jailyn constantly looks for ways to serve each of us - especially when it comes to Jonathan. She is his biggest cheerleader, always standing by to celebrate his newest accomplishment. The picture below is one of my favorites. This is a little glimpse into a typical day in our home....Jailyn "teaching" Jonathan while Jonathan "teaches" us...

I have known for a long time that something was wrong with Jonathan's tummy, but all the doctors we saw just couldn't find anything conclusive in their testing. On October 7th, though, the ER doctor ruled that Jonathan had a bowel obstruction which led to a rectal biopsy and subsequent hospital visits over the course of the next few weeks. The conclusion was: Hirschsprung's disease. This can only be repaired with surgery to remove part of the colon. We learned how to do bowel irrigations (yuck) and sought a second opinion at Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Colorectal Center. One of the surgeons there pioneered the "pull through procedure" that Jonathan needed. It is very rare to find Hirschsprung's at the age of two. Most children are repaired within one month of life. After seeing the doctors in Cincinnati, we decided to schedule surgery there for December 28th.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, we went to the Kentucky/Florida game with our two oldest kids. We are HUGE Tebow fans - and pretty big Gator fans. A professional photographer took this picture from the field before the game.

Justin had a 13th birthday coming up in early November, so Lange and Justin hiked the Appalachian Trail in early October with some great men of God and their sons. They spent time each night sharing about God's work in their lives. In addition, Lange worked it out for Justin and he to fly to Gainesville for Florida's Homecoming game. Justin's best friend lives there, and his family knows the Tebow family well. As a result, Justin and Lange spent a few hours with Tim Tebow at the Carr's house on the Sunday afternoon after the Homecoming game. It was a dream trip for any boy - and Justin was TOTALLY surprised.

Our church hosts a Fall Festival each year in October. Jailyn had the bright idea after finding some costumes at a consignment sale for her to be Tigger, Jonathan - Pooh, and Jaclyn - Piglet. The costumes were precious, but I didn't get very good pictures because it got dark so quickly.

5 months and counting...

2010-02-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

..I have been feeling guilty about not updating for...let's see....5 MONTHS!?! Life has become a bit more hectic since my last post in September. I am going to try to backtrack over the past five months and remember events as they happened. Here goes nothing...

First giggle!

2009-09-17T14:33:00.000-04:00

Jaclyn's first giggle actually scared me a little bit. I didn't know she was old enough to laugh out loud! Her laughter was at her sweet big brother Jonathan which made it all the more special. We were stacking blocks and knocking them down, and she was giggling hysterically. We even got it on video! Enjoy!

Sweet sounds

2009-09-01T20:51:00.000-04:00

First steps....

2009-09-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

SO EXCITING!!! Disregard the scary lady with no makeup at the end...

Jonathan and 'his' Iphone

2009-09-01T10:16:00.000-04:00

Lange showed Jonathan "peek-a-boo" one time on his Iphone, and look at what Jonathan did next...

Fun video of Jonathan dancing

2009-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

First day of "school" at Patrick Christian Academy

2009-08-17T13:44:00.001-04:00

Jaclyn's Sunday 'best'

2009-08-16T14:53:00.001-04:00

Jonathan "gets his groove on...."

2009-08-14T07:19:00.001-04:00

This boy has better moves than anyone in our family. Surely he isn't a Baptist...

He says, "ALL DONE!" at the end...

Family pictures

2009-08-14T06:52:00.000-04:00

Lange and Jamie

All the "Turnbough grandkids"

The entire clan

This one took a little work

"all done" with pictures

Sweet Jaclyn

2009-08-14T06:46:00.000-04:00

Big brother love!

Love those shoes!!

Little angel

Sleeping sweetly

Another picture?!?

Jonathan turns 2!

2009-08-14T06:24:00.001-04:00

Our big "little" cowboy

HOWDY! Lange's parents...

Our almost teenager, Justin

"I don't really like hats..."

Yummy!

Oh, boy!

The best part of turning 2!

Is this for me?!?

"WOW! I am so excited!!"

Jonathan's favorite treat in the whole world...ICE CREAM! I wish you could all see the sign he made up for it...Hilarious!

Here she is!

2009-06-24T07:20:00.001-04:00

Jaclyn Grace Patrick

Born June 23, 2009

7 lbs. 8 0z.

19 1/2 inches long

Telling daddy all about it

Proud big sister, Jailyn

Jaclyn will be 5 when Justin graduates from high school

Jonathan trying so hard to be gentle

Mommy and all her kiddos

Sweet baby girl

She has great hair!

Jaclyn's Baby Shower

2009-06-10T22:33:00.000-04:00

Jailyn and me at the shower

Ms. Oneida - love her

My friends that make me feel young

Jaclyn's nursery themed blanket

Showing off the first gift

Some sweet ladies from our church hosted a shower for Jaclyn this past Sunday. Here are a few shots. I am scheduled to be induced on Monday, June 22nd. Hopefully, it won't be six MORE months before I post again. Our family is doing well. Justin completed sixth grade and will turn thirteen this fall. Jailyn completed 4th grade and will be ten in the fall. Jonathan is almost walking and talking and signing like crazy. He will be two July 28th. AND...last but not least...Jaclyn Grace is looking great and weighed in at 6 lbs. 3 oz. last Friday at the doctor's office. We can't wait to see her face-to-face. We took our house off the market after much prayer and are beginning a remodel and completion of our basement. Our two oldest kids will go down there, and we will eventually put the babies upstairs in Justin and Jailyn's current rooms. There is much to do, but we are excited about it all.

Horseback and carriage riding

2009-06-10T22:26:00.000-04:00

Turnbough family pics

2009-06-10T22:22:00.001-04:00

Daddy's 60th Birthday

2009-06-10T22:12:00.000-04:00

Mom and Dad

Little Jonathan is growing up!

Random shot of my brother and his wife - with strange guy in background

Me and Jonathan with sweet Sophia, my niece

The bear - no, I didn't take this picture. Guess who did...

My whole family got to surprise my daddy by meeting in Gatlinburg for a few days. We had loads of fun. Our first encounter was with a bear that came right up to our house the first afternoon we arrived.

KENOVA

2009-06-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

Lange and I took the kids to meet my mom and dad in West Virginia for an overnight visit. Then, my mom and dad took all THREE back to NC for a few days to give Lange and I some time to prepare for the imminent arrival of Jaclyn. We stopped in Kenova, West Virginia - the home of Lange's new buddy Michael W. Smith - at an old soda shoppe. It was a lot of fun.

Joy Prom

2009-06-10T22:02:00.001-04:00

Justin with some new friends

Daddy and Jonathan

We had the privilege of attending the Joy Prom - an annual event sponsored by our campus church for young adults with Down syndrome and various special needs. It is so neat to see how God uniquely placed us here "for such a time as this." Our church began hosting this event before Jonathan was born.

Easter

2009-06-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

Our wonderful friends the Balsam's invited the kids over for an Easter egg hunt and cake. They had a blast. We also managed to get some shots of the kids in our yard in their "Easter clothes."

Zoo trip

2009-06-10T14:46:00.000-04:00

We got to spend a fun day at the zoo with our friend Lesley and her precious son Eli. He is too cool in his shades. Jonathan loved seeing the animals and made appropriate animal "sounds" - rather loudly at times - for every animal he saw.

The Varsity

2009-06-10T14:44:00.001-04:00

No trip through Georgia would be complete for our family without a milkshake stop at The Varsity in Atlanta. Even Jonathan got in on the fun.

Trip to Grandaddy's house

2009-06-10T14:35:00.000-04:00

Our family with Grandaddy

the "guys"

the "girls"

Jonathan "practicing" driving Grandaddy's truck

Classic picture of Grandaddy

We headed down to Georgia for few days after the choir seminar to see Lange's grandaddy and some of our dear friends and relatives - the Twibell family. Here are a few of my favorite pics from that excursion.

Trip to South Carolina/Gatlinburg

2009-06-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

Right around the first of March, we went to Florence, SC to see Lange's brother's family and participate in a choir retreat at their church for the weekend. It was lots of fun. We surprised the kids and stopped overnight in Gatlinburg on the way at a new hotel/indoor waterpark called "Wilderness in the Smokies." It was awesome!

Call it "nesting...."

2009-06-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

I don't know what has gotten into me, but I feel like I HAVE to update the blog before the baby is born - even though it has been five months since I last attempted this. Let's see....where to begin...

Update continued...

2009-01-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

Just before we went to NC for Christmas, some of our closest friends arrived home from Ethiopia. They were bringing home their sweet son, Elijah. We got to welcome them at the airport. What a treat!

Lesley and Eli

We celebrated Christmas many times and in many different places with all our family. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Our sweet Jailyn - growing up so fast....

Justin, almost a teenager....

my wonderful parents

the Patrick "men"

all the Patrick cousins singing Christmas carols

my fun, hilarious grandma singing "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Lange and I have been married fifteen years as of December 18th. We were fortunate to be able to go away - WITHOUT KIDS - for a week to Florida. My husband is the BEST at planning trips. We ate well, of course, rested, shopped, and saw some friends we hadn't seen in years. These are pictures of the view from our room.

We went to Caladesi Island State Park one day which was a real treat. You have to ride a ferry to get over to the island, and we saw several dolphins on the way over. The weather was great all week, and that day was no exception.

The dolphins

On New Year's Eve, we met up with some dear friends of ours who shared their Outback Bowl experience with us. Lange chose a restaurant off his Blackberry, and let's just say we were a little uncertain when we pulled up at the Latino strip mall. The food was delicious, though, and 'surprisingly' there was no wait. On Thursday, we went to the Outback Bowl and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience - as VIP guests. We got to go to the pregame festivities - complete with breakfast, and we had awesome seats on the fifty yard line. Aside from the sunburn, it was a great day.

the restaurant

pregame fun with the bands

our "dream" car - although I don't know how we would fit all the kids in...

Creed - enjoying himself before the game

no joke, this is really where we sat

We returned to Raleigh Friday night to retrieve our kids and Saturday made the increasingly long journey to Louisville, KY completely loaded down with all the gifts we received in North Carolina.

SO......

2009-01-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

... it is hard to top meeting Sarah Palin on your blog. I haven't felt like I had much to say since that excitement and announcing the pending addition to our family -- not to mention the fact that I haven't felt like doing much of ANYTHING for the last three months. I am in my second trimester now, though, so hopefully that will subside. I am going to attempt an update on life since early November.

We travelled with my mom and dad and sister and her two children to Rolla, Missouri for Thanksgiving. My grandparents live there, and they have never even seen Jonathan in person. It was a short but sweet trip. I know it meant a lot to them that we went. My grandma's favorite pasttime is playing Dominoes, and we got a few rounds in after Thanksgiving dinner.

Here are some cute pics of all the Turnbough grandkids.

In early December, Jailyn joined some of her homeschool buddies on a field trip to Glassworks and a candy factory. She got to make her own ornament, too.

BIG SURPRISE NUMBER TWO

2008-11-14T14:31:00.000-05:00

Lange and I also had a big surprise... for EVERYONE in our family. Can you read Jonathan's shirt? It says, "I'm going to be a big brother!" Lange says that the first picture shows how I (mommy) feel about this. The second picture shows how Lange, Justin, Jailyn, and Jonathan feel about it. I am due in early July. We are happy about this new blessing.

BIG SURPRISE NUMBER ONE

2008-11-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

Justin got a few surprises for his "all-important" 12th birthday. The first is that Memommy showed up on an airplane....WITH a Big Baby Taylor guitar all for Justin. He was SUPER-excited.

Happy Birthday, Daddy, Justin, and Mommy!

2008-11-14T14:14:00.001-05:00

All of our birthdays fall in the same week. We are the November "turkeys!"

Our "big" little giraffe

2008-11-14T14:12:00.001-05:00

Jonathan enjoyed dressing up for our Fall Festival. As usual, he enjoys anything that involves him getting attention.

Jailyn for Palin

2008-11-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

Jailyn dressed as Sarah Palin for Halloween. Jonathan, of course, was "Trig" in a giraffe costume. Cute, huh?

Chatting with Todd and Sarah Palin - WOW!!!!

2008-10-30T15:56:00.000-04:00

Sarah!

2008-10-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, Jonathan and I had the opportunity to attend a Sarah Palin rally last night in Jeffersonville, Indiana with two ladies from our church. We arrived early, so we were able to get right up to the runway - not really knowing if she would come in near us or not. I had made a sign saying, "I'm 'X-tra' special - just like Trig" hoping Sarah might see it. When we got in line, someone came down the line saying that we couldn't have signs or food in the building. I was so upset. I ended up just folding up the sign and putting it in the bottom of the stroller. Believe it or not, it made it through security. All the signs you see on the video were passed out after everyone got in the building. I guess it keeps people from putting ugly things on their signs that might be seen on tv. Funny, though, my sign was the only homemade one in the building, and that is the one she referred to!!!

Sarah's bus pulled right up to the runway, probably about 15 yards from where we were standing. When she got to us on the runway, she put her hand over her heart and grabbed her husband Todd's arm and said, "Todd, he looks just like Trig!" Then she blew our Jonathan a kiss. She went on up to the platform and began her speech. About 38 minutes in, she began talking about something that was dear to her heart - children with special needs. She stopped and said, "And I just have to say something about this sign." - gesturing to us. She then (which you can watch in the video link) began to speak of us and to Jonathan directly for a few minutes. It was INCREDIBLE!

That is not all, though. After the rally, two people from her staff came and found me and Jonathan and escorted us to a private place to meet Sarah and Todd. They placed us at the end of the line because they said she would want extra time with us. When we got to her, she immediately took Jonathan and loved on him the entire time we talked. She said, "He was the first person I saw. He just stands out." I had the opportunity to share with her and Todd that we love the Lord and that we knew - much like they did - that Jonathan had Down syndrome before he was born. I shared with them that we had to live out what we had talked about regarding the sanctity of life. I then told them that the "unknowns" of having a baby with special needs are so much more difficult than actually having one. She said, "That is exactly how we feel. That is what I want the world to know." They asked me about Jonathan and his heart surgery. She just couldn't believe how much he and Trig favor. Todd patted me on the arm and said, "Thank you for being such a great mom." I told them how much we as a family appreciated them and what they were doing for people like us. I asked her what WE could do for them. She said, "INTERCEDE FOR US." So... that is what I am asking you guys to do. Election is drawing near. Please pray.

I am including pictures and links to various places online that we have found stories about last night. I have Sarah's assistant's e-mail address so that we can stay in touch with pictures and things. What a privilege.

Just thought you guys would want to know.

LINKS:
www.wave3.com - go to video links and scroll through to the raw video of the rally; go to about 38 minutes in and watch

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/10/29/latest-from-governor-palin-on-the-campaign-trail/ - I actually just submitted pictures to them from last night telling them "we are the people" she talked to

http://www.whas11.com/video/index.html?nvid=298117 - another video of the speech. she talks to us right at the end of this one - part one, and then you can click on part two to watch the rest

Hank Jr....

2008-10-30T15:50:00.000-04:00

So, I went to the Palin rally - see next post - and I got my picture made with Hank Jr. and his wife. Her shirt says, "I hunt, and I wear high heels." She told me she shot a wild turkey in high heels one time...wow. My brother's comment was: "Well, shoot. Anybody can kill a turkey in high heels ---- the poor thing probably kept tripping as it tried to run away."

Fun with Friends

2008-10-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

We had the privilege of keeping Broc Chesney last weekend and a little Yorkie named Truman. It was loads of fun. Broc was born the same week as Jonathan, so the boys had a good time. Here are some fun pics...

Buzz Lightyear To the Rescue!!

2008-10-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

Jonathan is "on the move" - FINALLY!!! Hooray!

Memommy, this is for you...

2008-10-22T21:39:00.000-04:00

We came home from church tonight, and we had a message from Memommy. Memommy is always worried that Jonathan won't know who she is because she lives so far away and doesn't get to see Jonathan very often. Well, he heard her voice and went nuts! I grabbed the camera and played the message again. Watch...

Okay, so he hates strawberries, too...

2008-10-22T21:05:00.001-04:00

Lange and the kids kept Jonathan while I visited a friend at the hospital this past Sunday evening. Lange decided to "experiment" with Jonathan on some new foods. Just watch. Poor Jonathan is trying so hard to be happy about strawberries, but he just can't quite do it.

The many faces of Jonathan

2008-10-22T20:57:00.000-04:00

Jonathan has to be one of the most expressive babies I have ever seen. Here are a few pics we got of him this week. The first two are "peek-a-boo", and the third one is a BIG "all done" to his sister.

BALL!!!!

2008-10-18T20:27:00.000-04:00

By far, Jonathan's favorite pastime is playing ball with daddy. Enjoy the video!

Fly fishing with friends

2008-10-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

Lange had the wonderful opportunity to go fly fishing with one of his best friends for the day last Saturday. The weather was perfect, and Lange caught the most fish - at least that is what he told me. Jeff, you will have to let me know if that is true or not...

Bedtime giggles

2008-10-18T16:34:00.002-04:00

Justin, Jailyn, and Jonathan all piled in our bed the other night. It is sweet to see the older two enjoy Jonathan as much as they do. He is beginning to really want to be with them and do everything they do now.

Dishwasher disaster

2008-10-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

Our thoughtful almost 12 year old decided to run the dishwasher while we were at rehearsal Tuesday night. Our babysitter walked in the kitchen a few minutes later to see suds moving across the floor. Justin had put Palmolive in the dishwasher rather than the correct detergent. It took several hours to get it straight...

Bathtub fun

2008-10-18T16:31:00.000-04:00

Jonathan LOVES bath time. This was too cute not to include.

I HATE BROCCOLI!!!

2008-10-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, our sweet little child has opinions now. Just watch.... First, you see the "all done" sign, then the shake of the head, then the ANGER!!!

Uncle Rico

2008-10-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

Lange was kind enough to shave for me after I got home, but not until he tried to convince me he was a "mustache" kind of guy. All I can say is "Uncle Rico."

October 7th

2008-10-10T23:37:00.001-04:00

The first thing we did after we got off the airplane on Tuesday was hug our "men". Then we headed to Outback to celebrate Jailyn's birthday. Lange - you will notice - was still sporting his "mountain man" face. Needless to say, he shaved later that night. See future posts...

The end of the trail...

2008-10-10T23:36:00.000-04:00

More of the trail

2008-10-10T23:26:00.001-04:00

Appalachian Trail

2008-10-10T23:08:00.000-04:00

While we were in North Carolina, Lange and Justin hiked about 27 miles of the Appalachian Trail in three days. They went with some of our close family friends and had a great time. Here are some of our favorite pictures!

Homecoming with Papa and Memommy

2008-10-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

Jonathan playing "pat-a-cake"

Jailyn and I got to sing at Homecoming for Memommy and Papa's church. We really enjoyed ourselves. Plus, we got to eat NC BBQ for lunch. YUMMY!!!!

Happy Birthday, Jailyn!

2008-10-10T22:55:00.000-04:00

NORTH CAROLINA

2008-10-10T22:48:00.000-04:00

Jonathan and the "girls"

Jamie and niece Sophia

"little man" Jonathan and mommy

All the grandkids

Papa and Jonathan

Jailyn, Jonathan, and I made a trip to North Carolina to celebrate Jailyn's birthday and see all our family. We had a wonderful time. Here are some pictures from a celebration in downtown Graham near where mom and dad live.

Buddy Walk

2008-09-29T16:05:00.000-04:00

We are raising money for the Buddy Walk this Saturday to support Down Syndrome of Louisville. Jonathan has raised almost $600!!! We named his team "Team Little 'j'", and we made a poster for the sponsors to post along the walk on Saturday. Jonathan decided he wanted to play peek-a-boo while we were trying to take the picture yesterday.

Soccer!

2008-09-29T16:03:00.001-04:00

Jailyn's first soccer game was this past Saturday. It was a beautiful day, and we all had fun...

Corn maize

2008-09-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

We also got to go through a corn maize which was a little scary and a lot of fun!

Little farmer

2008-09-29T15:53:00.001-04:00

Jailyn found this little John Deere tractor for Jonathan to ride, and he loved it - especially when he noticed the big tractor right next to him.

Huber Farm

2008-09-29T15:46:00.000-04:00

We got to go to this wonderful place out in the country with some friends of ours from church a few weeks ago. The kids got to ride a chicken, and Jonathan got to ride a PONY! How exciting!!!

Jailyn's creations

2008-09-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

Jailyn is always making something - either in the kitchen or in her room. She had to make a mummy for "school", so she decided to wrap her tiger in toilet paper.

I found several random pictures of this "car" on my camera, too. I guess she is proud of it as well...

More from the Shaker Village

2008-09-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

Justin got to ride up front on the wagon ride

Jailyn with the horse and wagon

A beautiful winding staircase

We also took a riverboat ride late in the day

Shaker Village

2008-09-29T15:24:00.000-04:00

We went to a great place for Labor Day (yes, a month ago). It is near Lexington. It is an original Shaker village. We learned much about these people's religious beliefs and got to spend the night in an inn there that had been in existence for almost two hundred years. We also ate good food - which is always a necessity.

The 'fam'

Daddy reading "Where the Red Fern Grows"

Jonathan enjoying juice from a "big boy" cup

An old highway sign at the village

This neat lady performed some original Shaker hymns in the church building.

Updates

2008-09-29T15:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so my friends tease me that I only update about once every two months and then there are about 20 posts. Sorry about that. I only set aside time every once in awhile to do this, and when I do there is always a lot to catch up on... SO, here goes...

New tricks

2008-08-26T14:58:00.000-04:00

Jonathan continues to learn new things. It seems like he is taking off developmentally right now. We got him on video dancing and playing peek-a-boo yesterday. He is also signing "more" and "all done" and waving occasionally at people.

And one more...

2008-08-15T21:59:00.001-04:00