Dear Daughter, Please Teach Your Children The "TRUE" Meaning Of Christmas...

Dear Caitlin,
     As I sat in church Sunday and listened to the sermon, I decided to write this post.  You know that I am so in love with the Christmas season and it's not just because of the decorations, festivities and gift giving.  It is because of a tiny baby born so many years ago...The Christ Child.

It saddens me to think of the children out there who have no idea what the "True" meaning of Christmas is.  I was raised in church, therefore, I knew that I would always raise my children in church and with Christian values.  That is why one of our Christmas traditions has always been to honor the "True" meaning of the season by focusing on the Christ Child that was born to save the world.

I love the tradition of our family gathering together on Christmas Eve and heading to church for that annual service.  You were born in December so I think the first time I ever took you to church was for the Christmas Eve Service that year.  The Christmas story is always read from the Bible, we sing carols and then each family lights a candle on the tree at the front of the church.  I find myself sitting and reflecting during that time about how blessed we are.  Blessed to all be together, blessed to be healthy, blessed to have roofs over our heads...but mostly blessed that we have a Savior who loved us enough to come into this world as a tiny baby and then die for our sins.

It is my prayer that you will raise your children in church.  Teach them not about "religion" but about a "relationship" with the Lord.  Teach them the "True" meaning of Christmas...This is the thing in life that is important.  This is what will bring meaning and peace to their lives.  This is an everlasting gift that you can give your children.


"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'"
Luke 2: 10-11

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you this first year you are so far away from us.  I am so happy that you will be back in the south only one week from today!  I cannot wait to see you and Baby Holli and celebrate her upcoming birth with your baby shower and then Christmas.  I LOVE you...and miss you MORE!
              MOM

A Name For "Baby Jarrell"...FINALLY!

Dear Caitlin,
     I am so happy that you and Kevin have finally decided on a name for our precious new little baby; Holli Reese Jarrell!  I like that and we can all start referring to her by that name.  I suppose she is bound to be a replica of you since you have blessed her with the middle name I gave you 23 years ago.  It was so appropriate for you since you were going to be a December baby and I'm happy that you like it enough to pass it along to your own daughter.

 

I ran across these old photos of you and the boys and decided to share them with you.  David adored you from the moment he met you.

It's no wonder you got Best Dressed of you high school class and college sorority; I dressed you in cute dresses and HUGE hair bows every day!

                                That is Caki holding YOU, while David and Justin sit close by.

Sorry...I HAD to add this one!  You with curlers in your hair and a cookie in your hand.  Look how innocent Ryan and David "appear" to be.

                                                 And one of my all time FAVORITES of y'all!

  YEP!  I'm pretty sure that little Holli Reese will be an awfully lot like her mommy, Caitlin Holli!


Dad and I are here at the lake this weekend and it is a bleak, rainy day; not unlike the days there in Ohio except for the fact that it is not cold.  Parker spent the night with us last night and is still with me today; we are all supposed to go to The Festival of Lights downtown tonight.  I always love going to the festival and hope that this time Parker will not be afraid of the fireworks.  Hopefully you and little Holli can make it next year.  I guess I will have to buy her and Parker Ann matching Christmas outfits to wear!  It's fun just thinking about it.

I'm really glad that Dad and I surprised you for your birthday weekend; I was afraid that you would guess we were coming.  We had fun and cannot wait for you and Kevin to get here in about a week and a half!  I think that everyone will end up making it in for Christmas Day for sure and I will be planning my big dinner that evening.  AND the baby shower plans are coming along well too.  All of the invitations were sent out, the cake has been ordered and also some really cute decorations that I ordered from Etsy that I can't wait for you to see.  OH...and, of course, the theme is vintage and pink!  Hmmm...Now that I know the baby's name I guess I could think of some sort of decoration with her name on it too.

Well, I will take lots of pictures at the festival tonight to share on my other blog; be sure to check them out!  I will miss you not being here with us this year, but like I said..."Let's shoot for next year"!  I love you to the moon and back!!!
                                                                        MOM

Countdown To Christmas Visit, Baby Shower and Birthday!

Dear Caitlin,
     Well, Thanksgiving is over and it's now on to Christmas and your baby shower!  It has been several days now and I am STILL putting out all of my Christmas decorations...you KNOW how many I have but I do love getting the house looking festive for everyone.  And this year, Parker is sure to notice and LOVE everything.
     Today is Monday and I am also gearing up for my next dental implant surgery on Wednesday (ugh...).  I'm really not looking forward to that at all and am just ready to get it over with.  My doctor has assured me that it won't be as bad as the last one but I'm not taking any chances...I'm stocking up on all medications I could possibly need now!  That is another reason I wanted all of my decorations finished by Tuesday; so I could just sit back and enjoy them and know that I don't have anything pressing after my surgery.  Hmmm..."not pressing"?!  I suppose I shouldn't put it THAT way.  I will still have to finish Christmas shopping (thank goodness for shopping online!) and preparing for your baby shower.  And speaking of the baby shower, the invitations should be going to the printer today and I have ordered some really cute decorations from Etsy this morning too.  I have some real "Girl Cuteness" planned and I hope you love it.
     On to your birthday now...It's coming up in only a week so you just be looking for the surprise I will be sending you to hopefully make that day a happy one for you!  I still can't believe that 23 years ago I was getting ready to get my Christmas present for the year...and for life; my own little baby girl.  And now my baby girl is having her own baby girl.  Wow! Time sure does fly and I must admit that it has been so much fun.  From hair bows to bloomers and dresses and dance costumes to cheer leading pom-poms;  Teddy Bear Tea Parties and high school dances...you have been a little ball of joy in our lives and we are so happy that God gifted us with you.  I pray that your little girl will bring you as much joy over the years as you have brought our entire family.  We love you, Baby Girl!  And we miss getting to see you every day.  I cannot wait until Dec. 19th gets here and I get to see you again! Until then...I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON and BACK!
                                                                                                               MOM

Today Is The Day! BOY or GIRL?

Dear Caitlin,
     I'm just sitting here waiting for the call.  Oh, I know you are planning something "special" to tell Dad and me what the sex of the baby is, but TODAY is actually the day.  And just to let you know...I'm STILL sticking with my guess...I think it's a BOY!  Well, since I think that, it most like is a GIRL because, as we all know, I'm not really good at guessing; I thought Parker was a boy...wrong!  And WAY BACK WHEN, I thought Ryan was a GIRL (Haley Taylor...)...wrong!  So, in saying all of THAT, I am still sticking with my guess of a BOY but you are probably right and it is a GIRL.  Anyway, I don't really care; I'm just ready for another happy, healthy baby who will call me Ya Ya!  So...Here's to waiting.  Now, HURRY UP AND LET ME KNOW so I can start buying more baby stuff!!!

                                               11 and counting...What will number 12 be?!

                                                                                                                  Love,
                                                                                                                  Ya Ya

Laying Our Hands On "Baby Jarrell"...

Some mothers-to-be are funny about people touching their growing baby bumps, but fortunately for us, you are not.  And so while you have been here on this little visit to the south, well...the women of the south have laid their hands on our precious little "Baby Jarrell"!

I'm not sure why we all want to touch a pregnant mommy's belly but we all do.  Well, of course, I do have my own theories as to why.  Most of us have either had children or are wanting to have children; touching an expectant mommy's belly is a way of connecting with the little baby growing inside her.  One cannot help but notice the smile begin to spread across the "toucher's" face as they approach the new mommy-to-be with hands stretched outward and when you smiled back...that was all it took for those hands to reach out and rub your belly.  And the thing that is so interesting about this phenomenon is that it is women that we know from everywhere that want to participate in this activity; family member, close friends, church friends and even the nail shop ladies!  I though it was so cute how after rubbing their hands over your growing belly, they all made a prediction of what the sex of the baby would be.  We are all connected in some way..."Baby Jarrell" has had hands laid on him/her.  I consider this to be a blessing or sorts from other women who have brought (or hope to bring...) new life into this world.  We all love you, "Baby Jarrell" and cannot wait for your arrival.  This week we will find out if you are a girl or a boy.  It really doesn't matter to me; I just want a healthy baby and mommy.  However, I DO have my own prediction...I'm thinking "BOY".  Caitlin is thinking "GIRL"...

                                                                            18 Weeks...

"Baby Jarrell", I already love you so much before I have even met you...
                                                                                                               LOVE,
                                                                                                                YA YA

Dear Daughter, Life Lesson Number 1: Treat Others The Way YOU Want To Be Treated

Dear Caitlin,
     It is so nice having you here for a week and a half.  I love the fact that you are here to watch movies with me and drink hot chocolate in bed in the mornings.  It has been fun to actually have you sit here in person while I talk to you instead of just seeing you on Skype.  I'm so glad that "Baby Jarrell" has been moving around so much while you have been here; I'd like to think it's because he/she has heard Ya Ya's voice and can't wait to get out here and meet me!  As we have talked this week, I have realized that you too will now be in the unique club we call "Motherhood".  And with its membership there are many things that you will need to know in order to equip yourself for the job.  I hope that I have already taught you many of these things through my own words and actions over the years and feel that I most likely have since you have grown up to be such a well grounded young woman.  But today, I will offer a bit of advice that is absolutely necessary but also one you will find difficult to adhere to as a mother:  "Treating others the way YOU want to be treated."

The Bible tells us this and I believe that most of the time you do well with this, however, when you become a mother this will become an increasingly harder thing to do.  As that little baby grows inside your belly and you feel it move around, a bond develops; one that is stronger than anything I've ever known.  You will want to nurture and protect that child from every injustice and evil in the world.  And in your quest to do that, you will want to hurt those who hurt your child.  This is only human nature and you should realize that fact.  However, God tells us that we are to forgive (very difficult when someone hurts your child...) and we are to treat others the way WE want to be treated.  Hmmm...THAT is definitely NOT an easy one.

Although treating people nicely when they do not treat you nicely is difficult always remember...IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.  And at the end of the day, you will always feel good about what you have done; thinking of others before yourself.  I know that you have seen me struggle with this myself over the years, especially in your high school years.  When someone treated you unfairly, all I wanted to do was to hunt them down and make them pay!  HEY!  I'm only human too.  I have had to pray MANY times for God to forgive me for my words and thoughts concerning this.  But the importance of this lesson is not only for you; it is for your child also.  Our children watch us and whether we want them to or not, they become just like us.  As we watch our children grow over the years, we often times see bits and pieces of ourselves in them...sometimes things we would care not to see.  And so, what I guess I am telling you is that by YOU doing the right thing, your children will see that and also do it.

This was just a little "Life Lesson" that I was thinking about and decided to put down.  It is something good to remember and I hope that it will help you with your passage into motherhood...


                                                                                                I Love You To The Moon...And Back!
                                                                                                                           Mom

3...2...1...NEW YORK CITY HERE WE COME!!!

Dear Caitlin, 
     I miss you more every day.  After we Skyped last night, I realized even more how much I miss you and also how very quiet it is around here with everyone gone.  But then I just focused on getting to Thursday!  Yippee, Yahoo and all that stuff!!!  We will FINALLY be meeting you in NYC and I couldn't be more excited.

     I know that Caki and Tabitha are excited about the trip too.  They are both planning on coming out here to spend the night with me Wednesday night so we can get to the airport early for that 6 a.m. flight.  But just think...by about 12:30, we will all be together in The Big Apple!  In preparation for our departure, I decided to make out a little itinerary for us...well, let's say I jotted down a bunch of things I want us to do while we are there.  Among those things, of course, is to eat at some yummy places.  I made a reservation today for us at The Boathouse.  It is in Central Park and if you remember correctly, it was featured in the movie, "27 Dresses".  I also plan on us taking a carriage ride through Central Park and then getting out and doing some walking there.  Central Park is much larger than anyone would suspect and it should just be beautiful during this time of year when the leaves are falling and changing colors.  The other place that I made reservations at is Serendipity.  This place is really featured for their WONDERFUL desserts but they won't allow you to make reservations just for dessert, so I worked around that little issue.  HEY!  We didn't want to stand in line for possibly an hour just to get dessert, now did we?!  I went ahead and made a dinner reservation for us there (didn't even know they served meals there...) and then we can get our meal AND a delicious dessert!

When I was in town today I went ahead and bought you a pair of those maternity James Skinny Jeans.  I was told that they fit really well; I hope they do and you like them.  I also picked up a few more tops for you to wear.  HEY...Didn't I do the exact thing the last time I visited you in Ohio?!  No wonder my suitcase is always overweight.

Dad and Justin made it to Newfoundland and said the wind was blowing about 60 mph and it was snowing last night.  Today was supposed to be their first day to hunt so I am anxious to see how they did.  However, I have no idea what we would do with a moose or a bear!

Tomorrow I will be driving to Shreveport.  I'm sure you heard one of the dogs chewed my night guard to pieces (sigh...).  Well, apparently I am in luck because when I called the office to tell them about it, they told me that they had another one made for me there!  I told them I would take an appointment at whatever time I could get one, so I decided to see if Mam-Maw wanted to get out of the house and ride with me there.  My appointment isn't until 3:00 so we are going to leave early enough to eat lunch while we are there.  And speaking of lunch, Allison stopped by and had lunch with me as she was passing through town on her way to Ryan's.  I thought that was really sweet of her to call me.  We talked about wedding stuff and I can tell she is getting excited...I am too!

Well, I suppose I should go upstairs and get my suitcase out and start packing it.  But you know me; I tend to wait until the last minute and then just throw some stuff in there.  Just wanted to write you a quick note.  I can't WAIT to see you (and Baby Jarrell!).  I love you to the moon and back...
                                                                                                                             Mom