***Indiana trip***Move to Illinois***Picking Strawberries***

This last month has been one wild ride, but I feel that we are finally getting settled in and starting to make a home in our new place. Robert made it home safely from his trip to Indiana the 2nd weekend in May and I have included some pictures from his trip below. We finished packing the rest of our things, got new carpet in our old house and moved to Illinois on May 17. We have been busy since we arrived in Illinois, but loving the area that where we live and love being so close to St. Louis, MO.

Our first day in Illinois was spent at the pediatricians office meeting Jeremiah's new pediatrician. He was not sick, we were just getting established, so we would have one if he got sick. I think we are going to like him and Jeremiah seemed to like him too. We finished up the week unpacking, visiting and just exploring the new area. During our second week, we were able to go pick strawberries out of a patch and made some yummy strawberry jam. This was the highlight of the week for us! I have picked a lot of things in my lifetime, but never been to a strawberry patch. Jeremiah finally caught on by the end and had fun finding the red berries, but could not convince him to eat one. We also went to the St. Louis Children's Hospital and had our first visit in the skeletal dysplasia clinic. Jeremiah saw a geneticist, Dr. Shinawi, and he pretty much had some of the same concerns that we had about his growth and development. It was nothing serious...just a lot of let's watch this and keep an eye on that. We were very impressed with the hospital and it was so kid friendly. Being affiliated with this clinic, all of his specialists will be located in the hospital, so it will make it super easy for appointments and the doctors to be able to network. We went on a nasty, stormy day, so I didn't get to take pictures, but will on our next visit.

We still do not have internet access at our house yet, so I am not able to check email very much. We are hoping to get internet and a landline phone soon. We are in Tupelo this weekend to watch Nate play buddy ball and Robert will be at Ackerman church on Sunday. Jeremiah and I will be traveling home with my parents tomorrow, so they can drop us off at Batson on Thursday morning. Jeremiah will be having an ABR hearing test done that afternoon and then we will be departing for the annual Moak fishing trip at Lake Washington. It will be weird being away from our IL home for a week, but also nice seeing friends/family. We will be returning to IL on Saturday and getting ready for our annual meeting the 2nd weekend in June.

Jeremiah helping us navigate to MS

Reading the map

The boys with our strawberries

Jeremiah showing me his strawberry

Picking his first strawberry

Ready for church

In his shirt and tie

Last day of swim class at Maley's

Robert at Notre Dame

Fun with Cousins and More

Wow! I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. I guess you could say that things have been pretty busy. We have found a place to live in IL, but Robert is still looking for a job and our house should be on the market next week. We will be renting a house from a church member and moved ALL of our stuff two weeks ago. Robert's last day of work will be May 13th and our final day in our house will be May 16th. We are looking forward to being in our new place full time and being closer to our new church family. We are going to miss our family and friends, but know this is the direction God is leading us at this time.

Robert will be traveling to Indiana this weekend, but Jeremiah and I are staying in MS to spend Mother's Day with my mother. This will be the first trip in a long time that Jeremiah and I won't be traveling with Robert, but it was just going to be too much traveling for us in a short period of time. Jeremiah is finishing up swimming lessons next week and he is doing so well in them. He is also doing very well with his sleep apnea machine.

I have added some pictures that have been on my camera for a while. Amy came to visit us during Spring break and Jeremiah had a fun time visiting with her. Bryce visited us around his birthday, so we could take him to build-a-bear. We also made a trip to Mellow Mushroom for Uncle Robert, since they serve a gluten free pizza that he loves. I also added two car pictures with Jeremiah and his hat. He is really into hats now and wears one almost all the time.

 Amy and Jeremiah coloring

She didn't like Jeremiah coloring on her side.

Jeremiah in his MS Braves hat

Jeremiah sleeping in his hat

Bryce bathing Jake Jr.



Jeremiah and Bryce at Mellow Mushroom

Flashback Picture - Jeremiah and Robert on our first trip to Palm Chapel in Florida in July 2009.

Jeremiah and Robert on our latest trip to Palm Chapel in Florida during March 2011.

No Goodbyes...Just See You Later

My family - Photo by Tammie Adam

Life is an amazing journey! When I married Robert five years ago, I would have never thought that God would call him to be a preacher. He was not a bad person or an ungodly man, just not one to speak in front of crowds. However, he began speaking in the pulpit at the end of my pregnancy with Jeremiah and was licensed to preach soon after that time. We have been traveling all over the southern states and even ventured into some northern states to fill in at churches with a need for a pastor. The traveling has been tiresome at times, but it has been worth every trip. We have enjoyed meeting all our Primitive Baptist friends from near and far. We have been praying for some time for the Lord to guide us in the right direction and prepare our hearts to accept that guidance.

Last Sunday, the Little Flock PBC in Edwardsville, IL called Robert to be their Pastor and he has accepted that call. We are excited about where the Lord is leading us and ready to continue on this journey. The church has been looking for a pastor for three years and we feel blessed that the Lord has called our family to serve in that position. Yes, it will be hard leaving the state that we have called home for our entire lives, but we know this is the place for us at this time in our lives. Yes, it will be hard leaving our family and friends, but with all the technology, transportation choices and snail mail we will be able to keep in touch. Now that we will be at a church full time, we will have more time to spend together as a family and travel to see our families back home.

I wish I could have called each and every family member or friend to share this news, but it was just impossible. However, I did want you to hear the news from us and not through some second hand information. We love each and every one of you and will miss you dearly. We ask that you continue to pray for us and specifically that Robert will be able to find a job in that area. We will not be able to move until he finds a job and we find somewhere to live, so it will be a couple of months before we move. I can say this is the hardest thing we have done as a family, but we also know that it is the right thing to do at this time. We would appreciate your love and support during our move!

We love you,

Robert, Elizabeth and Jeremiah

Boys Will Be Boys

Jeremiah had a tough week last week. He fell at some point last weekend and sprained his wrist. They do not make splints small enough for his arm, so they had to put a cast on it for two weeks. It has not slowed him down one bit. He is really into hats now. He thinks he has to have a hat on every time that Robert is wearing his hat.

He also had his third sleep test and was fitted for a cpap machine. He did great on the first two sleep studies, but this last one was horrible. He woke up every time they increased the pressure (which was about every thirty minutes) in a screaming fit trying to pull the mask off his face. I am glad that it is over. We go back in April to actually get his prescription for his machine.

Edwardsville Museum & New Bed

We made another trip to Edwardsville in Illinois last weekend and had a great time. We went to the children's museum in Edwardsville on Saturday with the Zimmerman family and the kids had a great time. Jeremiah was amazed with the weather center. They had a weather map where you could forecast the weather and the camera put you on the television. The museum also had some mirrors that distorted the way that you looked in the mirror. Jeremiah had a ball walking in front of them and seeing himself with long legs.

Jeremiah had a follow up appointment with the sleep doctor and we received the results from the sleep test. He does have sleep apnea and we are going to treat it with a CPAP machine. Jeremiah was still sleeping in his crib, so we are having to transition him to a toddler bed to be able to use the machine. I am happy to report that he stayed in his bed the whole night and loved sleeping in his bed last night. He goes back next Thursday night for another sleep study and at this one they will fit him for a mask. They will also find the right pressure for the machine, so hopefully this will help him get better quality sleep.

Jeremiah and daddy telling us about the weather.



Jeremiah and daddy on the television.



The look on Jeremiah's face is priceless. He could not figure out how he was on the television.



Long torso and short legs ~ Mommy has super long legs



He looks so old in this picture.

Jeremiah having fun in the mirrors.

Jeremiah helping sweep the floor at the church.



Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church

Jeremiah helping mommy with the flower beds.



The first night in his toddler bed.



Jeremiah loving on duckie and elmo.

Our little boy in his big boy bed for the first night.

February Review

Wow! I can't believe I let the whole month of February pass without blogging about an event. We've had a lot going on, so I am going to keep this short by posting lots of pictures and short descriptions.

 Jeremiah attended his first concert and rodeo on the same day. This is Marty Stuart performing and I've learned that next time we need ear plugs. Jeremiah does not care for loud noises.

 Jeremiah and daddy at the rodeo.

He loved the seeing all the cows and horses.

Just a strange picture ~ The sun was out, but is was still cold enough for icicles to form on the wood. This was taken in Gloster, Mississippi.

Jeremiah has started having to stand in the corner for bad behavior. :(  I know everyone thinks he is an angel, but he does mess up from time to time. He is your average two year old.

He had a blast making Valentine cards this year.

He liked coloring on the cards, but hated getting glue on his hands.

Dressed for church

Being cool in the car in my sunglasses and his Elmo shirt

 Posing on daddy's Wii board in his Elmo shirt

An Afternoon at the Park

I know that this may sound bad, but today was my son's first visit to the city park. We were at a church meeting this morning and decided to go this afternoon since the weather was nice. There are many reasons why we haven't taken him before now, but the main one is he couldn't walk. However, after the fun we had today, we will be making more trips to the park. He had a great time and loved seeing all the other children there playing and having a good time. I don't know if he really had a favorite thing, but he did love everything that we were able to do today.

I loved how the park had a whole swing set dedicated to toddler swings.

He looks like he is up to something in this picture,

but he just didn't want to take his eyes off the other kids.

I had to take a picture of this to show him when he is older. He hates to get dirty and is cleaning off his hands. Robert and I were laughing so hard, because each time he tried to get up his hands would get dirty again. He would get so mad and clean them off again and again.

Riding Mr. Duck

This is our next goal now that he is walking by himself.

We are working on climbing stairs with help.

I was impressed with how well he did today on the tall stairs.

He loves to slide!

Doing his chin ups

The last slide of the day!

Grandma and Aunt Jennifer came to see Jeremiah swim at Maleys.

I know I haven't posted much about his swimming lately, but he is still progressing and loving it.

Miss Amanda (his teacher) helping him go down the slide into the pool.