Catch Up Part 1 **Warning... This is an extremely long entry**

WOW, a ton has happened this year. This may end up being the longest blog entry EVER trying to get all caught up. :)

MAY: It was a rough start to the month as we learned that we lost our baby on May 7th. Even though it was by far the most difficult thing we had ever gone through, we learned so much about ourselves, our marriage, our families, friends, and our relationships with God. It has slowly developed us into stronger people and we have chosen to praise God through this storm.

Blake and I had our 3rd wedding anniversary, May 12th and realized how fast time had flown by. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband and thank God for the 3 indescribable years he has given us and how close we have grown together through the good and the bad times!

We got a super sweet cookie cake from the Ambrose family (some of our favorite people) to try and take our minds off of the previous couple of weeks.

We took some time to be with family and to make new happy memories for Memorial Day...

Blake & I at his parent's house for

Blake and his mommy, Kathi

Blake's niece, Grace, being silly as usual

Had a couple family rounds of HORSE... they are a big sports family

Played with baby Boaz (Blake's sister's youngest)

We signed on our house and officially became home owners!

They baked us brownies and made it the most pleasant experience ever!

They said to bring your favorite pen... so we came prepared! ;)

We made our first trip to Home Depot to begin the home projects

Proud to be home owners!!!

I LOVE my house!!! I will have to do a separate post to show the house before and afters of all the fun work we did to make it ours... it was quite the process!

JUNE: It was a super busy month for us, especially since Blake is a student pastor. We went to Student Life Camp at Orange Beach with the COF High Schoolers...

On our way to camp, yay!

Our fearless leaders. Lol

David, Lance & Blake

Some rockin' cool campers

Awesome camp leaders...

Ellie, Smashly, Calliekins, Me & Kristin

So excited to get the privilege to do camp together, love this boy!

I got crazy sunburned!!!

Fun times @ camp!

Shopping the beach stores with the kiddos

Our little family (we decided to adopt this sweet boy. Lol)

Blake, Zach & Me

The girls in my room for the week... love them!

Blake & I at the end of camp

Being silly on the trip home with my buddy Justin

We hung out with some of the COF boys...

Lunch with some of Blake's boys...

Austin, Blake, Zach, Zach & Jacob

A dear old friend came to visit us at church...

Dick Hill

Baby Aubrey White was born to some dear friends of ours, Alex & Cheryl, so we went to visit...

Brooklynn, Aubrey & me

Blake loves both of the White girls very much. Here he is with Baby Aubrey

Mommy Cheryl and her precious girls

We had a house guest...

Levi spent the night at our house...

and hung out with us

We had a fun day at the lake with family & friends

Eric, Whit, Ellen, Nat & Me

My dad - Rocky enjoying some R&R time

Nate creepin' on Eric ;)

Katrina & Andrew

Whitney pouting about something, who knows?!?!?!

Justin & Casey just chillin'

Blake & Randy

Mr. Mike Sullivan - We played a bunch of fun "Minute to Win It" games - So much fun!

We celebrated Jacob Chase's Birthday, love that boy!!!

Jacob, Blake & Me

We went to the lake with Blake's family...

Blake's sister Kari, her husband Patrick, and their girls Abbi, Grace & Faith

After a fun day on the boat

Had fun at the COF KidzZone 80's party!

Andie & I reminiscing

JULY: Yet another busy month FULL of fun memories. We hung out with the awesome COF students NON-STOP!!!

Jacob Chase & Me

Zach, Jared, Austin & Blake

Me, Zach & Austin

Played some volleyball

Made sand turtles & mermaids

We celebrated the 4th of July @ our house with my family....

We will always match, no matter how old we are! ;)

SISTERS - Me & Whit

We will also always be Daddy's Girls...

Me, Dad & Whit

Blake & I having fun with sparklers

We stayed up super late playing Super Mario Bros. on the Wii

A few special guest chefs came over and made dinner with us throughout the month...

Graham made some AWESOME fajitas

Who knows what Blake, Stacy & Chris whipped up.

I got to hang out with the best family in the whole wide world...

Nate & I at Market Street in The Woodlands

Whit and I in matching headbands. Eric felt left out so we let him in on the picture.

I had my wisdom teeth pulled...

My mommy came and took really good care of me!

My friend Kristin spoiled me with yummy ice cream

We gained a new son/housemate...

Chris Trevino came to live with us over the summer/fall for about 4 months... We always wanted a Hawaiian son! ;) Lol

Blake went on a Mission Trip to Costa Rica & left me at home so...

I went out for a night out on the town & awesome live music with some good friends

Me, KyLeigh, Amos & Charlie

We have lots of incredible students at COF and it's always sad to see them graduate and leave, but we are so proud of them when they do...

Austin, Blake & Zach

Some fun Butler kids hung out with us while their parents were out of town...

Riley Kate & Reagan Butler

We went on a Griswold/Gillmore family vacation to Lake Conroe...

The fam on the boat

Dad, Whit, Mom & Blake

Nate & I as our boat was being towed... it's a long story. Lol :)

Blake & I enjoying some time off together

This is how Blake likes to spend his vacation. Lol.

Taz loves family vacations!

Dad likes to eat on family vacations ;)

It's super hard to get a good, serious picture with my family around...

It's easier to just join them! ;)

Nate showin' off some mad skills

They were fighting over the last of the homemade ice cream

Very impressive sunscreen applying Eric!

Sunset boat rides to dinner are my fav!

It's the only family photo we got, even though it's blurry... I had to post it.


TO BE CONTINUED....

The Story of an Angel...

Wow, I have been putting this off for a while now because I wasn't really sure what to say or how to explain the rough road we have been on since last May. We found out towards the end of last February that we were pregnant with our first child! We immediately felt deep down inside both Blake and I's hearts that it was a baby boy and we nicknamed him Baby Bean.

I have a history of PCOS and have had multiple cyst ruptures. We knew it might be a struggle to get pregnant, so we wanted to start trying just a couple years after getting married. We had been trying for a year and a half to get pregnant with this sweet baby and even had to be on 5 rounds of Clomid fertility treatment to helps us. We were beyond excited to discover God was blessing us with our very own little angel.

Blake and I went on Monday, May 3rd to our 12 week check-up with my OBGYN and were extremely anxious to hear the heart beat and see our little Bean. We went in and the doctor asked how I had been feeling and I said I had actually been feeling pretty well for the past couple of weeks. He looked a little concerned and said, let's see if we can pick up this little one's heart beat with a doppler. He kept trying and trying and no heart beat was coming though. Now, the weird thing was that I had read a friend's blog earlier that morning and we were just a couple of weeks apart in our pregnancies. She had the same problem just a week prior, where they couldn't find a heart beat at first. But, then they went in and did a vaginal ultrasound and found their baby alive and well, just hiding. :) I was for sure that was what was happening with our little Baby Bean! I was a little nervous as they tried two different machines in the room and nothing was working. The doctor then said let's try a vaginal ultrasound, and I was sure this nightmare was soon to be over, since I figured we had a tricky little boy who liked to play games already. The ultrasound began and Blake and I were holding hands so tight I had lost all feeling in my hand. We were both silent, still, and I don't think either one of us were breathing waiting for them to get this figured out. The nurse's face was overcome with a look of terror. I began hyperventilating and the tears began streaming as the nurse said in a panicked voice, "let me go get the doctor." They both came back in and this time the doctor did the ultrasound. Tears then began to slowly drop down our doctors' cheek as he said, "I am so sorry." My heart was in my throat and I couldn't breathe or see from all of the tears. I was sure this was a mistake and that this couldn't be happening to me! :( The doctor looked at Blake and asked, "would you like sit down?" I looked to my left and Blake was a whitish/green and soft tears were on his cheeks as it was obvious he was fixing to pass out. The doctor left so I could get dressed and Blake held me and promised everything was going to be ok and that we were going to do this together and that God was going to take care of us. I was numb.

Here was the last ultrasound picture we have of Baby Bean. It was our 12 week check-up and the baby was measuring in at 9 1/2 weeks. He had been dead and I had no idea. I was crushed! :( The doctor told us that Bean had a bubble of fluid around his head signifying that he had Down's Syndrome and many more chromosomal abnormalities and that he was very sickly and would most likely not have made it to delivery. I found a little peace and comfort in knowing that our baby was no longer in pain. I was sure that he was in Heaven and would forever be our little angel who would watch over our family.

Fast forward to Friday, May 7th. This was the day of the D&C procedure. I had been torn all week and struggled with the thought of them physically taking my baby away from me. I wasn't sure if I was really ready to let go and know that he would no longer be with me every single day. I know it sounds weird since he had already passed, but there was a sense of security as long as he was still inside me. We knew what needed to be done and the procedure went fairly fast that morning. As I woke up from the surgery, it was like a nightmare all over again. All I could hear was the sound of a baby crying. I was in and out of it and could not even talk yet to tell the nurse why I was crying or what was upsetting me. Blake came in to be with me and was furious that they had me in recovery right next to a toddler that had just finished a procedure and was crying non-stop. He took care of me and had me moved and out of there before I knew it. What a good husband! :)

That weekend was Mother's Day weekend and the start to our slow road to recovery. We spent a lot of time with my family. I am so so very thankful that they stopped and dropped everything to spend time with us and help us get a grasp on our new reality. Since then, there have definitely been good and bad days and I figure that will continue the rest of our lives. But we have chosen to daily trust that God is in control and will continue to hold us in His hands and walk us through this life, through the happy and hard times!

A charm a family friend, Shirley Leftwhich, gave me.

I love what it signifies and cherish it greatly!

This is the necklace that I wear all of the time and it helps me when I miss our baby, I hold the little bean charm in my hand. It helps me remember he is finally pain free and ok. Blake bought me the bean charm and the little ball with the November birth stone (since Nov. 20th would have been his due date). He is so thoughtful and this necklace is so precious to me.

Fast forward to, this past Saturday, November 20, 2010. It would have been our precious Baby Bean's due date. We decided to not let this day pass without taking a moment to remember and honor our first child. We planted a tree in honor of Bean and the huge impact he made in our lives even though we never really got to meet him. Every time we look out the window into our backyard, we will be reminded of our precious Baby Bean. We specifically chose the Texas Redbud Tree because of the bean pods it sprouts in the Fall, when he would have been born. It also blooms beautiful pink flowers in the Spring, which to us, symbolizes new life and the amazing blessing God is giving us to redeem a month (or season) that was so hard for us this past year. Lastly, the heart shaped leaves will forever remind us of the deep seeded love his daddy and I will always have in our hearts for him!

The leaves I saved from the tree.

Blake & Chris digging the hole EARLY that morning so we could plant the tree

Blake wrote me a sweet letter "to the mother of his children..." it was so thoughtful, made me cry & I love him so very much for being such an incredible husband!

He also gave me a James Avery Remembrance Ring with the November birthstone to always remember our angel and this special day

Planting the tree

Stomping the soil :)

I wrote a letter to Baby Bean from his parents and had Blake read it out loud. We both cried!

Then we buried the letter with the tree

The whole gang that was there to share our special memories with us!

Eric & Whitney (my sister & her husband), Chris Wyrick, Dave & Kathi (Blake's parents), Sue (my mom), Andie Wyrick, Blake & I

Blake & I with our special tree that will forever grow and remind us of our precious Baby Bean

Our Family is Growing...

I have been a total slacker and have not blogged in WAY TOO LONG! I am back and have GREAT news that will hopefully redeem me! ;)

I am pregnant!!!

This is the necklace I made to tell my family the news

This is right after we told my family... this is really happening! :)

Here is the Bean (the baby) at 7 weeks

We call the baby Bean, so I guess that makes my tummy "Bean Town"

We are beyond excited and so thankful for this blessing that God is giving us. I am 10 weeks and 2 days along and my due date is November 20th. We are having a Thanksgiving baby! :)

This year is bringing all kinds of changes in the Jackson household. Not only are we having a baby, we are moving... Not far away, still in Cypress, just over to Fairfield and we are finally moving to a house! We bought one and are in contract right now, hoping to close May 12th (the same day as Blake & I's 3rd Wedding Anniversary).

This is our house!!!

So many milestones that we are reaching this year and I could not be more pumped! I promise to stay on top of things and keep you better informed as I am sure there will be plenty of news to report!

Desperate Housewives...

Today I am sitting around, still not able to breathe and so ready to be done with all of this sinus crap! But as I sit in my little baby Shack, I can't even relax and be sick in peace! Why you may ask? Because my house is BEYOND messy...

laundry is stacking up,

dishes need to be put away,

Clean clothes need to be folded & hung up,

and I still need to cram in two work-outs!!!

Holy cow! Just typing all of that made me realize just how much I really need to get done and how little time I have left in today! Hahaha. If I have so much to do, then why am I still on here talking about it instead getting things done?!?!?! You got me... I am off to clean... How many of you feel like a "desperate housewife" today, ready to pull out your hair or throw in the towel?

-Robin-

Being Real...

This week marks the 6th week that I have been doing this Gett Fitt program. I have good days and bad as far as being motivated and excited to continue, but this week has been particularly slow for me. :( I know it may have something to do with the recent upgrade in dosage for my fertility medications (we are trying to get pregnant) or even the fact that this week has felt like yet another "plateau week" in my weight loss progress, but none the less, it has really bummed me out. Usually I am pretty good about not letting things get the best of me, but this week has been particularly hard to fight it off. I don't feel like myself and wonder when I will again. It's such a weird feeling to feel like someone else is in your body controlling all of your emotions.

The good news is this is my 6th cycle and final cycle of clomid at the highest dosage possible. The bad news is if it doesn't work this month, we will have to regroup and start something new to try and help my body be normal. Lol. What??? My body isn't functioning normal? Lol. What a surprise! ;) Anyways, this week my attitude has been very negative and definitely one not full of faith. I know God will provide in his perfect timing, but this week I was just angry and frustrated.

Yesterday morning I was reading in the Bible and God gave me this verse... "Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21:5 The New Living Translation says, "Look, I am making everything new!" This made me sit and take a good look at my life and my attitude that I had let get the best of me this past week. I need not to doubt that God is working and moving in my life, but instead trust in faith and even OPEN MY EYES and LOOK around me to see that even when I feel things aren't going the way they should, God is still making all things new. He will continue to do that no matter what kind of a mood I am in! What a relief! ;)

I read in a book that "when you blame God, you cut yourself off from His power, doubt replaces trust, and you put down roots of bitterness that make you cynical. When you blame others you add to the distance between them and you, and lose the only option that works - forgiveness. Instead, trust the One who promised to "make all things new," and move forward."

I hope this challenges and encourages you like it has me this week. God is good ALL OF THE TIME no matter what the circumstances may be or what our attitude is reflecting! Thank goodness for that! :) Trust in Him that He has your best interests in mind and He will never fail you!

New Year... New You!

2010 has brought about many new changes in the Jackson family! Blake is now doing ALL of the student ministry stuff at the church... The teaching, the singing, the videos, the EVERYTHING!!! He is handling all of this extra stuff so well, I am extremely proud of him! I just thought I was busy before but have had a rude awakening this past month. I am now, in addition to my regular work load and regular life duties am also working out 2 times a day and watching what I eat. Now, if you know me at all, you know this is a HUGE change and a constant task for me! ;) Lol. I am, along with my buddy, Amos the poster child for our church GeT FiTT series. This has been a huge undertaking but I am excited to see what the results will be at the end of the 12 weeks! You can follow our journey HERE I will try and do a better job of keeping up with this blog and making sure you stay in the know of our life happenings! :)

Hustle & Bustle

I can't seem to figure out where all of the time is going?!?!?! I feel like this year has flown by so stinkin' fast! I had big plans of sending out cute Christmas cards, getting my Christmas shopping done really early, and having a well planned, relaxed holiday season. HAHAHAHAHA. I think I have learned my lesson this year. I should never have planned ahead like that. Lol. Instead of being on top of things, the opposite has come true! I barely have any of my Christmas shopping done, no Christmas cards will be going out from the Jacksons this year, and I feel incredibly behind!!! I need time to simply slow down just for a week or so! Can't a girl catch a break? ;)

On a happier note... I do finally have my Christmas decorations up! Lol. I am trying to pull it together and know that even though it's not as organized as my OCD self would hope, it will all come together eventually.

Does anyone else feel like this? Am I alone? What's stressing you out this Holiday season? What's making you happy and thankful this Christmas?