Blessed Beyond Imagination

Miss Evelyn had her first baby shower last weekend...

Such Blessings!!

I am absolutely blown away by the generosity of my friends & family.

Evelyn recieved all her big items... including all of her crib linens from my gracious hostesses.

I never expected to get all Evie's linens... At least not as one complete gift!! I figured I'd buy the remaining pieces after our showers.  The thought of being able to save that money for other necessities makes me tear up... gives me goosebumps! 

Jordan, Evelyn, and I are blessed beyond imagination...

I washed all of Evelyn's clothes and blankets that she's recieved and have them all in her closet or folded nicely in her crib. 
I'm still waiting on her dresser/changer to put everything else away.

I also went on an Etsy binge the other day and got Ev some precious head pieces...

I've recieved all my purchases and am having a hard time not wearing them myself

A Special Thank You

I was on a time crunch earlier when I posted Evelyn's Lullaby.  

I was so anxious to share my new favorite song with all of you 

...I didn't give Jodi the proper thanks she deserves...

I've always said that the only kind of friendships worth having are the ones where you can go months, sometimes even years, without seeing one another and losing no loyalty on either end.

Jodi Davis is exactly the type of friend who cherishes & practices the same kind of friendships that I  hold so dear.

I met Jodi in highschool through a mutual friend... we hit it off immediately and even after the initial mutual friendship had severed on my end, I always knew that Jodi would continue to be a great friend.

The one thing about Jodi that has always stopped me dead in my tracks and kept me mesmerized for hours is her incredible instrument that so few people are graced with... her God given singing talent makes my hair stand on ends and always inspires me to sing myself (I used to sort of have a half-way decent voice... I've abandoned singing, but am always inspired by Jodi's awesome talent)

Anyway, it was about 20 weeks into this pregnancy, after we had picked out a name for the baby. I was laying in bed listening to my "night night playlist" on my iphone.  

Dixie Chicks' 'God Speed' came on and I heard myself singing along lightly.  

Natalie Maines would sing "Godspeed Little Man...Sweet Dreams Little Man"

 And out of my mouth came "Godspeed Evelyn... Sweet Dreams Evelyn"

I sat straight up in bed and thought to myself, 

'I could have this song recorded to be just for ev'.  

I turned on my bedside lamp and picked up a pen and paper and began jotting down the original lyrics of Godspeed while changing the parts that referred to a little boy into phrases that were perfect for my little girl.  I had the perfect song written (or rewritten I should say)... then I thought of Jodi.

Jodi moved to Nashville some years ago to break into the music industry... I messaged her on facebook that night asking her to please record Evelyn's Lullaby for me.  It must have been 1:30 am when I sent the message.  And she accepted whole heartedly the next morning...

So, Jodi: thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for having the undying loyalty that so few people possess & that I treasure above most other attributes.  Thank you for taking the time and using your resources & beautiful voice to give Evelyn the most special gift.  

Evie is going to absolutely love her lullaby & her aunt jodi! 

Evelyn's Lullaby
(turn up your volume)

                                   

Lyrics Recreated by Evelyn's Momma

Performed by Jodi Davis

Puppy Tails & 'The Water is Wide'

Mermaids Sail & Bluebirds Fly

Fish Bite Moonbeams Every Night

And I Love You

God Speed, Evelyn

Sweet Dreams, Evelyn

My Love Will Fly With You Each Night On Angel's Wings

God Speed...Sweet Dreams

Momma's Angel's All Tuckered Out

Evie Lays In Pajamas On The Couch

Goodnight Moon, We'll Find The Mouse

And I Love You

God Speed, Evelyn

Sweet Dreams, Evelyn

My Love Will Fly With You Each Night On Angel's Wings

God Speed...Sweet Dreams

God Bless Mommy & All That's Ours

God Bless Dad & Thanks For the Stars

God Hears 'Amen' Wherever We Are

And I Love You

God Speed, Evelyn

Sweet Dreams, Evelyn

My Love Will Fly With You Each Night On Angel's Wings

God Speed...Sweet Dreams

God Speed

Sweet Dreams

In the Name of His Own Family

Time is going by so fast! Too fast! I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted... 

My life since my last post could be summed up as follows: 

...sam & jack are the best of friends, as i expected...
...before my travel restriction began i took a trip to mexico with my entire family for a week (bliss!)...

 ...my husband got a new job!!...

...jordan finally got LASIK & is hilarious when on Valum...

...our 3 year anniversary came & went...

...Evelyn's nursery is STILL incomplete...

... it's hot & i'm miserable...

 ...i'm down to biweekly doctor appointments...

(which blows my mind b/c we're getting so close to evie's arrival)

Some parts of this summary deserve further explaining...

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My cousin, Floyd III, got married a few weeks ago in Playa del Secreto, Mexico.  My entire family used the wedding weekend as an opportunity for a much-needed family trip.  For 8 days I was in heaven.   My parents rented one of the privately owned homes that make up the 1/2 mile beachfront strip called Playa del Secreto.  It was wonderful!  


We all had our own rooms & bathrooms, which is not an easy ammenity to come by when you're talking about 13 people under one roof! 


Our grounds were a dream: there was a huge pool with a lazy river that butted up to a palapa with a restroom & outdoor kitchen/dining area.  From the pool we could walk 10 ft. to the private beach.  


Since we weren't at a resort with restaurants, we didn't want my mother slaving in the kitchen the entire week, and going into town for lunch/dinner would require 13 people leaving the pool or beach, seize drinking sol & cocktails, shower & dress appropriately, get in our 2 rented vans & drive to either Playa del Carman or Cancun and search for a restaurant where we would undoubtedly spend a large sum of money, my parents had the most brilliant idea!


Instead of living the previous assumption of events, my parents opted to hire full time chefs to be at our house... Every morning we were each served a large plate of fresh fruit & then the brunch of our choice: fish tacos, ceviche, breakfast enchiladas, waffles/pancakes for the kids & me!!! They stayed all day and served us drinks by the pool and kept our bowls full of homemade chips, fresh guacamole & pico de gallo.  Then they'd serve us dinner which was always incredibly delectible!! We absolutely loved Fernando (head chef) & Allen (sous chef)... by the end of the week they were definately our amigos :)  


Also, A big thanks to Lucy & her family for keeping our sheets fresh and our house in order !!! 

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My husband got a new job!!!

Background: In 1976, Rusty Loeffler opened a restaurant in Norman, Ok called Interurban.  In the last 35 years Interurban has blossomed into a growing chain and has also become a Norman staple.  It was only natural for Jordan to work the business in which he grew up.  The restaurant is as comfortable to Jordan as home.  Without even knowing it, Jordan was primed from birth to be a talented & successful restaurateur. 3 years ago Jordan started managing different Interurbans in Oklahoma City, Yukon, and was eventually managing the newest store in Norman.  


For those of you who have been or know somebody who is in the restaurant business, you can understand and appreciate the lifestyle that is required by a restaurant manager.  If you're like I was 3 years ago, you have no idea.  Let me clue you in.  In a nutshell: when the rest of the world is vacationing, off work, or celebrating any holiday or event you can bet the restaurant is at its busiest.  


What does this mean? My husband usually works 5-6 days a week. On the weeks that he is given 2 days off, they are never consecutive. 13-15 hour shifts are not uncommon, he works almost EVERY night until 12pm-1am.  Weekend get-aways (or any plans on the weekend for that matter) are out of the question.  Trips ended after our honeymoon.  Holidays, I have come to understand, are spent without my husband.


I'm not going to lie and say this lifestyle has been easy.  It hasn't.  But, at no point did I urge my husband to leave the restaurant for a career that would allow him to be home in the evenings, weekends, & holidays.  In fact, I myself fell in love with the restaurant. 


I was, at times, very lonely... but, most times, I was just so thankful that my husband has the kind of work ethic that few people possess. Ultimately, Jordan works his ass off for us.


I had accepted that this was, and always would be, our life story.  But, then the most miraculous thing happened: Evelyn!!!  


About 3 months ago, Jordan came home after a really long and hard weekend at the restaurant.  I was working on the nursery. He came in, stood in the middle of Evelyn's room, looked around, and said, "You know, I've missed out on the past three years.  I've missed out on us, and it's been okay because I was working and that only seemed natural.  And it was okay because I knew you could handle it.  But, I'm not willing to miss out on this.  I'm not willing to miss out on Evelyn."  


So  that was it.  He started researching careers that would continue to peak his interest while allowing him to be present in our family.  After 2 interviews with Republic National Distributing Co., Jordan was offered a position as a Liquor & Wine Representative.  


What does this mean? First & foremost: A normal lifestyle.  My husband sets his own hours, working during the day and coming home by dinner time.  Weekends & holidays: Evelyn will spend every moment with her daddy & momma.  Wanna take a week off for a quick trip? No problem! Not to mention, an immediate increase in salary & lots of chances for bonuses & promotions.  


I am so proud of Jordan for taking a step back and reevaluating whether he's meeting the needs of our family & his own in sustaining our priority: which is family.  For  making the hardest decision he's ever had to make and leaving his father's burgeoning company that was built with his parent's blood, sweat, & tears... all of this, in the name of His Own Family.  

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