let's try this pic thing again

gracie chillin at aunt kathy's house


my uncles dog cody had to check out the baby...he was very intimidated..



gracie with her pawpaw that she misses:(


gracie and my nanny


gracies tv watchin chair..:)





gracie in the pool with poppa

MY NEW JOB

...SO I STARTED MY NEW JOB YESTERDAY AND I WAS SOOO OVERWHELMED BECAUSE IT WAS ALL GREEK TO ME...LITERALLY. SO TODAY I GOT TO DIG IN AND DO SOME HANDS ON STUFF AND ITS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. I LOVE IT SO FAR. EVERYONE IS SO LAID BACK AND EASY TO GET ALONG WITH. IM SO GLAD TO BE SO MUCH CLOSER TO HOME AND TO NOT HAVE ALL THAT NASTY DARN TRAFFIC IN FAYETTEVILLE TO DEAL WITH. STILL GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO TELL MY OTHER JOB IM NOT COMING BACK. IM DUE BACK JUNE 19TH SO I JUST HAVE TO GIVE A TWO WEEK NOTICE. I'M GONNA MISS JESSICA TREMENDOUSLY. I LOVE HER SO MUCH SHE'S AWESOME! MY BEST NC FRIEND EVER! SHE WAS WITH ME THE WHOLE TIME I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL HAVING GRACIE AND SO WAS KARA AFTER SHE AFTER MICHAEL ARRIVED FROM FLORIDA. I HAVE GREAT FRIENDS. YA KNOW SOME PEOPLE GO THROUGH LIVE AND DONT HAVE ONE SINGLE CLOSE, GREAT FRIEND AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH MORE THAN THAT. I CONSIDER JESSICA AND KARA GREAT FRIENDS AND MY HUSBAND IS MY FRIEND TOO! I THINK GOD PUT ME WITH THIS JOB FOR A REASON BC SOME PPL AREN'T CHRISTIANS. AT OUR COOKOUT YESTERDAY, I WAS ASKED..." YOU AREN'T ONE OF THOSE OVERLY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ARE YOU"? AND IM LIKE ACTUALLY, YEAH I AM. THEY WERE JOKIN ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING AND THE RAPTURE AND SUCH..JUST JUVENILE THINGS THAT THEY DON'T REALIZE ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY HUGE THINGS....ITS OK THOUGH BECAUSE I WILL NOT WAIVER. AFTER ALL THE TREMEMDOUS STRESS WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE NOT ONCE QUESTIONED MY BELIEFS. HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING WELL. HOPE YOUR MEMORIAL DAY WAS SAFE AND ENJOYABLE. TALK TO EVERYONE SOON. OH IVE ATTACHED SOME PICS OF GRACIE. SHE WENT SWIMMING WITH HER POPPA SUNDAY AND SHE LOVES TO BE SITTING UP LIKE ALL THE TIME SO WE WHEELED HER HIGHCHAIR IN THE DEN AND SHE WAS WATCHING TV UP HIGH LIKE A BIG GIRL...SHE LOVES IT. OK THE PICTURE UPLOAD THING ISNT WORKING..ILL ADD THEM LATER..



LOVE JEN

happy memorial day!

happy memorial day to everyone who reads this! we aren't going out of town since we were gone for a week and a half and just returned home. that was by far the most amazing trip home. mom is alright she was released yesterday afternoon with only bruises and a fractured ankle.
she's still very sore but shes alive. i start back to work on tuesday and hopefully will can start on wednesday since the doctor finally released him to return back to work. so we have had a very eventful past 2 months since boo boo was born. although its been tough at times with everything going on i wouldnt change it for anything. i also just talked to my dad and he and my stepmom are just itching to come see the baby again. im so glad!!
they are supposed to come up at least once this summer. i can't wait!!! ok im done for now. here are some new pics of miss gracie and the top one is she and her godmother:)

thank the lord!

ok guys i know this seems a bit scary but my mom was in a head on collision this morning at about 7:45. yes this is almost two months to the day since my brother and husband were in their head on collision. everyone in my immediate family has been in the hospital in the past two months except for my stepdad. lets pray he doesn't either. anyway same scenario as the boys. someone was in too much of a hurry and turned left in front of her and hit her head on. God was with them and he was with her today. pics are at www.bastarache.info/donna. on a lighter note the baby is growing by leaps and bounds. she weighs about 10.5 lbs now. this is not per the doctor this is me getting on a scale and then me holding her and getting back on the scale. anyway we're doing fine. will update later

love jen

out of commission

at moms work on her computer. our internet is not working properly so until we can troubleshoot we will not be online. see everybody soon! ps our trip was amazing! ill add some pics when we get our internet back.

family

Hey guys. I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that my trip is going spectacular. Halfway down I got a call from one of the jobs that I interviewed for *the one i wanted most* and they offered me the job..and of course i accepted. it ended up takin us around 13 hours but thats ten of actual road and 3 of gas, potty breaks and baby burping breaks. not too bad. wednesday we went to columbus to see jenifer and meet ms mackenzie. she is sooo cute! we put her and gracie in the crib together and they were holding hands it was sooo cute!! i had a blast! i have also had a great time with my daddy. he and my stepmom hold gracie from the time they get in until they go to bed. its so sweet i love them! i think he's gonna come to NC and visit. he's not gonna be able to stand being away from her until christmas. i also have seen a few people i knew just around town and such. i will post pics from the trip when i get back home. im at my aunts right now so i cant upload pics or anything. anyway hope everyone has an amazing weekend. my baby cousin graduates tomorrow! i cant believe it! i remember when he was born! ok so im done now. best visit ever..no competition.

til next time..

*Wish Me Luck!!**

Hey guys! I had two great interviews today! I don't want to go back to work but since I have to I would like to be closer to home (and baby). So I called where I work now and let them know I was going to take the full twelve weeks I'm allowed. I mean come on..What other time in my life will I be able to spend 12 full weeks with my daughter? I have enjoyed every minute of these 6.5 ive already spent with her. Shes amazing and perfect and wow. thats all i can say. anyway we're about to leave for the beach and we will return in time for baby dedication at church on sunday morning. then monday we're off to bama'. hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. be safe and have fun!

love jen

Though I'd Share...

Everyone I know with kids seems to be into this digital scrapbooking thing... It's actually kinda cool. It's not nearly as messy as paper scrapbooking and its cheaper...!! Well anyway I've done a few layouts...mostly of Gracie. So I thought I'd share them with whoever may read this blog:) Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weather. Wish me luck I have two interviews tomorrow for jobs that are closer to home (and of course, my daughter) and then we leave at lunch for Myrtle Beach for two days then back home for baby dedication at church on mothers day and then monday we're leaving for my dads! im so excited! im also catching up with some friends from high school while im down. im super stoked! thats it for now..gotta go scrapbook some more ,.im addicted!

here are the layouts

Back to work i go

Ok yeah so my maternity leave is almost up :( I have had sooo much fun with Gracie and Will these last few weeks I can't imagine not being home with them every day. Will probably won't work for another few months due to his injury and the way its looking the woman who hit them doesn't have enough insurnace to cover much of anything but thats alright becuase I'd rather be stuck with 15000 in medical bills than to not have them here at all. We are leaving for MS/AL monday morning for a week to see my dad's family and a few friends in c-town. I'm pretty excited I havent been down there since December and now with the baby we have to make the trip alot more often. Did i mention i DO NOT want to go back to work?! Look what I get to spend time with every single day!!


A few girls are doing a 30-day photo challenge. I really should do it myself since i take soo many pics of my gracie. I wish i knew how to use jenifer's digital scrapbooking thing. I think i might buy whatever it is she uses..even though ive forgotten exactly what that may be..hehe

Ok i better get to cleaning and washing clothes for the trip. No posts all next week as there is no internet where we're going....:(


later
jen

oh i forgot to mention!!!

Miss Gracie slept from 10pm-430am last night!! And she didn't even go potty in her diaper!!! Like i said...perfect!! Hopefully by the time mommy goes back to work she will be sleeping until 500 or 530:) Man I love this kid:)

Perfection

I know I seem to write all the time about how perfect my life is, but its true and I'd like for everyone to know that and know how its possible for them too. I got saved when I was like 9 years old. IT's easy to love the Lord with all you have when you're 9. You haven't met that high school boyfriend or went to college parties or had any other temptations of that degree. I'm not saying its hard to love God becuase it's not, it's just that you have more things ...tests if you will...to prove that you DO love him. I've always gone to church (maybe not every Sunday...but ive always gone) I have never once doubted his existence or power. I just got sidetracked. Lots of people get that way. It just takes that extra ummph to get you back on track. WE have been here in North Carolina 5 years in June and we have tried so hard to find "that church". That perfect church that fit us like a glove and offered all the programs that we wanted and needed. We found it...after five years of looking (and a couple of just not going anywhere). This perfect church is Seven Lakes Baptist Church in West End, NC. We drive 35 miles every sunday to this perfect church and we get a TRUE BLESSING every time we go. God put us there for a reason. NOt sure who reads this, but for a long time my in laws and I just did not get along. We didnt' agree on lots of things and sometimes id say i just plain didnt like them or want to be around them. Well we've just had Gracie and she needs all the family she can have right now and we need their support and love. So anyway at the end of the service every sunday the preacher calls anyone to the altar that needs to pray or give praise or what not... Something had been telling me to go a few sundays prior to this but i never did. So on April 1st I went up and prayed for God to release the burdens off of my husbands family. To let them be free from Satans Bondage and let us get along and attend church together...etc etc. I asked him for a MIRACLE. That miracle came in the form of my husband and brothers car accident. God does work in mysterious ways but i can absolutely not tell you how much GOOD has come from all this. First and foremost that they are both healthy and alive. My moms sister that hadn't spoken to any family in over two years is now back in our lives. My dad/stepmom and my mom/stepdad GOT ALONG (at the hospital when dad drove 750 miles to see my brother...which in itself is also a miracle since he never visits anyway). I just can't even put a price on all these things and even more that have happened. I actually feel as though my in laws like me now...even love me maybe? I think some of it too is probably lil Gracie but its' all God's work. My husband (who before i had to beg to go to church) is now wanting to be baptized and become an active member of the church family. i am soooo happy about that!! anyway tahst my testimony. God saved their lives and that touched innumerable lives around them. There is no way they should have survived. See pics at www.bastarache.info/accident and see for yourself. Its a true miracle.

Ps Miss Gracie is doing just perfect. She has gained over 2 lbs since we left the hospital 6 weeks ago tomorrow. I love her so much and I can't imagine my life without her....shes perfect (lol dont all parents say that?) See pics of her at www.myspace.com/jenandwill in the pics section

Until next time...