I'll Love You Long After You're Gone

Remember when I mentioned that we had a busy summer? Yup, it has certainly lived up to those expectations. So here is our life right now...







Jeff and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary! I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man. My post-college plans I had before I met him would have been exciting, but very lonely. Since the day we said, "I do," our lives have been anything but boring and lonely, and we have still had the chance to travel! I can't wait to see what the next five, ten, and fifty years bring!

For our anniversary, we had some professional photos taken. A huge thank you to Rita and Pine Ridge Photography for capturing our adorable, little family at this chapter in our lives.

I also made Jeff a video of the last five years of our lives together! Check it out!

The week of our anniversary was also VBS at our church. Tony's church came up with a mission group to help us out. It was so fun to see Poppo and Bennett together again!

One week later... my sister flew in and we left for Oklahoma. First stop was Vici, OK where our youth group helped out at a camp. They cleaned, painted, and did yard work in the scorching summer heat of Northwest Oklahoma. It was a lot of fun to help out and watch the students work together. Check out the video I made for the trip! :)

Next up, Jeff took the group back home while Bennett, Autumn, and I drove to OKC! I got to hang out with my lovely college friends who came in from all over the US. They got to meet Bennett and we had a little baby shower for the gals who will be expecting soon! I am so glad I got to see these girls and that they got to meet the newest love of my life. I was truly blessed with some great friends while in college.

After that rockin' reunion, my mom met us in OKC and we drove up to Miami and Wyandotte to visit the family! Bennett got to meet his crazy cousins, aunts and uncles, and his great-grandparents! I just loved seeing him interact with his family and seeing my grandparents hold my little boy. Family is a beautiful thing. :)

We ate LOTS of Ku-Ku food. I let Bennett try his first french fry (no salt, of course), but he just wasn't ready for the chewing involved. No worries. We don't need french fries in our diet just yet.

I don't know if it was all the attention he got, but Bennett learned some new tricks while in Oklahoma! Yes, my baby boy is now crawling! He is getting into everything, but he is still such a good baby. He does so well just sitting and playing with his bucket of toys in the living room. It only lasts for so long, but he does well at entertaining himself. He also learned how to wave bye-bye! It is adorable. Period.

Last stop: Woodward, OK to see Poppo and the family! Jeff flew into OKC with Tony and we drove to Woodward for Jeff's 10-year high school reunion. Bennett got to play with his cousin Amelie and meet his Aunt Ashlie and Uncle Phillip for the first time! They are expecting their first little one in January, so Bennett will have another cousin close to his birthday. We can't wait to meet him or her!

Bennett's tour of Oklahoma was fun, but exhausting! It is nice to be back home and in our own beds (and the cooler climate). Jeff has had an accomplished summer so far. After he completed his Master's degree, he had to reappoint with the Air Force. While Bennett and I were still in Oklahoma, Jeff was promoted to 1st Lt and got his new rank and cross pinned on! So proud of him! We are just waiting to hear which base he will be assigned to for his reserve duty.

Jeff also celebrated his 29th birthday! We just went out to eat. Nothing too eventful. Bennett's present was the best: a blow-out diaper at the restaurant! Yay... mommy had to clean it up, of course.

Oh! Bennett turned seven months old AND he has started pulling up on things this last week... Oh boy. I'm excited for him to start walking because it is a big milestone, but I don't think I'm ready for an early walker. He'll do what he is going to do, but he is just growing up too fast for this mommy!

I think that's all for now (I told you we were busy!). We'll see what the next month has in store for our family!

A Busy Summer

Bennett's First Swim

Our summer has been exciting so far and it's not over yet! As I mentioned in our last post, we went to Orlando with my parents about mid-June. We stayed at a nice resort in a three bedroom suite. It was fun spending all that time with my family. There are all these crazy reality shows out there today about random people just living their life... My family is way more entertaining. We hung out by the pool, went to Universal Studios for a couple of days, and even caught some rays and paddle boarded on Cocoa Beach. My dad even brought some home movies to watch. He HAS to put up this video of my little sister meeting Mickey Mouse for the first time because it is the best thing EVER!

Here's a video I put together of our adventures in Orlando!

Pirate Dinner!

Enjoy some pictures!

Lil' Pirate

Since then, we've had Jeff's first Father's Day. He got a travel mug with pictures of him and Bennett on it. We also got some family pictures taken! It was our first time to have professional photos taken since our wedding... It was a hot day outside so it was hard to get Benny to smile, but I think they turned out quite well! :)

Universal Studios

Then there was the Fourth of July. We set up a little baby pool in the back yard and Bennett loved sitting it in and splashing.

Bennett turned six months old on the fifth! I can't believe how time flies. He is such a little goofball. He's sitting up all by himself and tries to scoot when he's on his tummy. He'll be crawling before we know it! Ah!

Here's an interesting tidbit of information: I wrote a novel. Yup. I finished it about two years ago, pulled it out of my drawer last month, did some editing, and I think it is actually completed now. I even (finally) picked out a title! It is a YA novel and I sent out some letters to a few literary agents so we will see how it goes... I feel like I just applied for some big colleges and I am dreading the rejection letters...

So what is next on the agenda? Well, right now Jeff's dad is in town with a group from his church and they are going to help with VBS at our church this week. Tony hasn't seen Bennett since he was just a week old so it is so great to see them two together again!

Jeff will actually fly to Georgia for a couple of days for some interviews with the Air Force. They will basically determine if he is fit to have his cross pinned on as a Reserve Chaplain and he will be promoted to 1st Lt. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and he will be attached to a reserve unit soon and get underway with all of that!

Bennett's First Beach Day

Jeff and I will have been married five years as of 7/11/13! Crazy! He will be in Georgia most of that day... :( ... but we are busy this week anyway. We really wanted some family photos so that was pretty much our anniversary gift.

In a couple of weeks we will be heading to Oklahoma on a youth mission trip. We will be helping out at a camp near the panhandle with some upkeep projects. After that, I'm going to visit some college friends in OKC and then my family in Miami/Wyandotte. I can't wait to show off my little Benny Bear!! They are just going to fall in love with my little munchkin! Then... Jeff has his 10 year high school reunion in Woodward! I told you it was a busy summer...

Happy Fourth!!

Happy summer adventures, y'all!

The Good Ole Days

[I wrote this about two weeks ago and was going to post it before leaving for Orlando, but failed to do so. It took me a while to get a new one up because I was trying to get my husband to write a post about graduating seminary. That was obviously a no-go, so here were MY thoughts.]

I have so many great memories of my childhood: my dad reading me my favorite book, "Gregory the Terrible Eater," and teaching me how to play "You Are My Sunshine" on my toy guitar, having a food fight with my family that my mom started, then letting our dogs eat the pizza crusts thrown all over the floor, and of course playing school, "Jungle Kids" or "Mary Poppins" in the backyard with my brother and sister, my best friends, my soulmates. I also remember when I was younger wanting so badly to grow up, feeling like a 'lost boy' stuck in the Neverland of childhood, always wondering why it took so long to grow up. Didn't it seem like life was in slow motion back then? And now that it is over, and I'm an adult, I find myself longing for those good ole days; when I didn't have a care in the world, I had the craziest imagination, and my parents provided for my every need. Did someone press the fast forward button because I swear time goes by faster the older I get.

I was giving my son a bath tonight and watching him kick his feet and learn how to splash and play in the water. Watching him smile up at me and giggle as I washed his little fingers and toes, I thought, "I have got to remember this." The way he likes to suck on his bottom lip, how he sticks his tongue out sometimes when he smiles playfully, and the way his eyes light up and search for me when he hears me enter a room. These are just everyday memories, but I feel as if they are just as important as the big moments. It makes me think of something they said in The Office series finale (which they did a fantastic job with by the way). I'm pretty sure it was Andy who said something like, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good ole days while you're still there." We have had some crazy ups and downs so far, but I have a feeling that Jeff and I are going to look back on this time, at our young growing family, and think about how we miss these good ole days.

Jeff graduated from seminary last month with his Master of Divinity. I am so proud of him! I tried to get him to type up a post himself about the subject, but he wasn't very interested... He is now in the process of reappointing in the Air Force Reserves. He has a lot of paperwork to complete (and to wait on), but he'll be reappointing as a 1st Lieutenant sometime this year. We'll see where it leads from there...

Jeff and I will be celebrating our five year anniversary this year! I can't believe it has already been that long, but I suppose I will be saying the same thing when we hit 25 and 50. This year, I really want to get professional family photos taken so we are getting that set up for the end of this month. I am so excited! The only time Jeff and I have had our pictures taken by a professional photographer was at our wedding. We didn't even do the fancy engagement or maternity photos that everyone seems to be getting done these days, so I can't wait.

We had a blast in Orlando with my family. I will have to post about it soon! :)

First Mother's Day

If you know me, you may know that I am a fairly reserved, straight-to-the-point, very unsappy person. I'm still me, but geez Louise, having a child has awakened something deep within me that could only have been brought out by becoming a mother. This little human being is constantly on my mind. I'm sure some may even be annoyed with how many pictures I post of him on Facebook, and even after that painful, natural childbirth, I find myself excited at the idea of having more! I could, and often do, just stare at Bennett while he sleeps and wonder at this beautiful gift from God. My daily prayers have become, Lord, keep him safe not just for his sake, but for mine. Though he's only been in my life four months, I can't live without him. And, Lord, please keep myself and Jeff safe, not just for our sakes' anymore, but for our child who we want to be able to grow up with both of his parents.

As a young girl I remember watching all the Disney movies and dreaming of falling in love and being someone's princess. Yes, I did meet and fall in love with the perfect man for me, but it's never exactly white horses and fairy godmothers. For me, so far my happily ever after has been the journey. I didn't think I could love Jeff anymore and then he held our son for the first time... And becoming a mother was like falling in love all over again. Disney just never portrayed that miracle to me.

I know I have heard that not every woman is meant to be a mother and I believe that is true, but I just never really thought that being a mother would feel like such a calling in my life until it happened. I've always wanted to have kids, but that is just what you are supposed to do, right? Procreate and pass along your genes. So whether you are a mother or not, whether you have a desire to be one in the future or none, take the time to thank your mother. You were once a dependent, drooling, poopy pants four-month-old who needed cared for and someone must have done so because you are here and reading this. Whether it was your biological mother, adopted mother, grandmother, aunt, or a father who had to play two roles, give them a call, give them a hug, and say thank you. Mothers have a tough and very important job and they won't be around forever.

Thank you to my mommy, and to Jeff's, for bringing up a couple of awesome kids. They sure did make you an adorable grandson! ;)

Love having this little guy look at me like I am his
whole world. That won't last forever so
I plan on eating it up now. :)

April Showers

April has been a month of family and showers of love so far. Bennett took THE CUTEST Easter pictures EVER. He was so adorable in his little suit. Then he turned three months old! It's crazy how much we love that little munchkin. I'm sure looking at his pictures, it's easy to see why! That kid is so stinkin' adorable, but so dang stubborn. He is currently going through a phase where drinking from a bottle is just torture... He's been getting a bottle of formula about once a day or less since his first week and now he wants nothing but the breast. It's exhausting, but I'm so glad he is sleeping through the night because that is my only break... One of his nicknames (there are tons already) is BB and it not only stands for Bennett Barros and Booger Bear, but now Booby Boy. :)

 


April started with Jeff's brother and his family coming to visit. Bennett just loved his cousin, Amelie, who is just three years old. He would just smile real big when she would sit and hold his hand. He loves to be entertained. I keep telling Jeff that he would have done excellent as a younger sibling because he would have someone older (besides mom and dad) to entertain him. I guess he will have to learn how to be the entertainer for his future siblings...

While they were here, Bennett took his first trip to the zoo, rode his first carousel, and we walked around Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City. Jeff's aunt and cousins also came up from Black Forest to visit, eat hamburgers, and meet Bennett! It was fun. Luckily, the weather was perfect. Today, we have several inches of snow on the ground...

 


Just a couple of days after they left, we hopped on a flight to Houston to visit my parents. We were nervous, not just because it was Bennett's first flight, but because the weatherman was predicting a blizzard! It turned out pretty cold and windy, but there was barely any snow on the ground! They were talking about possible white-out conditions, but we got to Denver and our flight left without and any issues. Bennett did well. He loved the fact that he was strapped to me in his Moby wrap and slept in it a lot. He did have his first big tantrum while we were sitting on the plane waiting for it to be de-iced... that was fun... It was hot and stuffy to start out, but I finally got him calmed down and he did great the rest of the flight.

In Houston, we took Bennett to the Aquarium and he loved it! It was so adorable to see him watch those colorful fish. We ate our share of some delicious seafood, stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe, and took a stroll downtown.

My mom and her friend, Kippy, also threw Bennett a "blessing shower." I had never heard of this before, but wow, was it special. People wrote down a blessing for Bennett and for Jeff and I and then everyone just said a little prayer over our dear Bennett. This baby boy has had so many people praying for him; even before he was born. I know Tony has told Jeff that he prayed for Jeff's future wife and children. I remember praying when I was young for my future family as well. We are such lucky people; we are so thankful for the awesome love and support we receive from our friends and family. We live in such a crazy, scary world, with wars, slavery, and people setting off bombs in crowds... It's wonderful to be surrounded by such loving human beings and to be reminded of the good still in this world.

Exactly one month from today is Jeff's graduation from his MDiv program! I'm excited for him and I know he is so ready to be done with school. With his Master's degree, he will move up to being a 1st Lieutenant. He is starting to fill out his reappointment papers now and finalizing his endorsement from the North American Mission Board. It turns out that the Air Force just added several more chaplain positions so, after his reappointment interviews, they might ask him to go on active duty. We aren't sure where that will lead, but I am so proud of Jeff and love to see him following his calling.

I loved hanging out with my crazy family and I can't wait to spend a week with all of them in Orlando in June.

And she said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." So they worshipped the Lord there.
- 1 Samuel 1:26-28

Rest and Reflection

By this time last year, we had gone to a concert, sailed on a cruise ship to Mexico, bought a new house, I spent a couple weeks in India, and we were preparing for a week-long camping trip. 2012 definitely started off action-packed for us. Things began to slow down just a bit when I discovered I was pregnant, but Jeff still spent his month in Florida, and we travelled the country for two important weddings to attend. 2012 was an awesome year and this year isn't looking too bad either. It started out with a bang, with the birth of our first child, and we have some adventures coming up soon. For now, the last three months of "rest" have been a blessing. Just spending time with our almost three-month-old and watching him develop and learn each day is fascinating. I know it sounds trivial, but seeing him learn to reach for objects, finding colorful television shows mesmerizing, and waking up to his huge smiles each day, is a time in my life I never thought could be so exciting and rewarding. I sometimes find myself getting impatient for him to get just a little older so he can eat solid foods and won't be hungry all the time; or for him to walk or be potty-trained. I know those days will come quickly, so I'm just going to enjoy his dependence for now. He needs us to carry him, to feed him, change his blow-out diapers, and cuddle him to let him know how much he is loved. I may not be traveling the world right now as I had planned to do after college, but watching Bennett explore this new world is an adventure in itself. Jeff and I still have a long list of places we would like to go and we plan to make it to as many of them as possible. For now, the "place" of parenthood is our unexplored world we get to learn more about.

Next month, we will be updating our home study. We have to update it each year we are on the waiting list and we, of course, have to include our newest family member this year. We are still on the waiting list, and with all the adoption issues with government policies and corrupt orphanages worldwide, it looks like the waiting may be even more prolonged than anticipated. I am glad that we are going through a dependable agency that checks and rechecks family history for children who are relinquished or abandoned, but at the same time we can't wait to offer a loving home to one of the almost 200 million orphans that are in this crazy world. We did get an update on our wait list numbers this month. We are #121 on the girl list, #99 on the boy list, and #51 on the siblings list.

We do have some exciting adventures planned for next month. Jeff's brother and his family will be coming for a visit, then we head to Houston to visit my family. In May, Jeff will graduate from his Master's program, and June, we will be heading on vacation to Orlando for a week! And y'all thought a kid was going to slow us down...

With Easter coming up this weekend, I've been taking a little time to contemplate just what Christ did for us on the cross. First of all, I have a better understanding of the sacrifice our Father made by sending his Son. I don't think I could give my son up to save a bunch of strangers. God truly loved us. God truly LOVES us. John 3:16 has a new meaning for me. I am so thankful for that sacrifice, for the role Jesus plays in my life today, and for the new life I am promised because He lives. I am also grateful to his earthly mother, Mary, who gave birth to Him, raised Him, and had to watch as he was humiliated and killed. She was also there to meet Him after He had risen; and for that reason I praise Him with a grateful heart.

And He said to them, " Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." - Luke 24: 38-39

All Because Two People Fell in Love...

Six years ago, I believe it was February 20th to be exact, after an awkward I-think-we-are-just-friends-but-I-baked-your-favorite-cookies Valentines Day, on a walk around our college campus, I sat down next to Jeff on a bench by a little pond where he asked me to be his girlfriend. Almost ten months later, on a chilly December night after almost getting lost in downtown OKC and after a delicious dinner, he asked me to be his wife. Seven months later, we said our vows in Texas. After a relaxing week in the Dominican Republic, we moved to Colorado with no jobs lined up. Good idea, right? From those first couple of months of marriage, not knowing how we were going to make our rent payments, to the birth of our first child this year, it has been a fun ride so far. I can't believe we will be celebrating our fifth anniversary this year! I love you, Jeffrey Barros, and I'll be saying that on our fiftieth anniversary like it was day one! :)

My Valentine - Our First Date Night Post-Bennett :)

Gizmo Eyes!

My mom came to visit for Valentine's Day and hang out with her little Valentine while we went out to eat at a fancy restaurant in town. :) It is so awesome to see my mom with her first grandbaby. It makes me miss my family more living in a different state. So thankful for Skype and Facebook and the ability to share photos so easily. We are going to Texas in April. So excited to see my fam, but a little nervous taking a three month old on his first plane ride... My parents also already have a family vacation planned for June. We are going to Orlando! Should be interesting...

A teddy from Uncle Austin!

Bennett is sleeping a little longer during the night which is great. He is actually sleeping in five hour spurts. Some nights (like last night) are not so great, but there are more good than bad. He is so hungry all the time and eats so fast he gets gassy sometimes. This kid has been gassy since day one! I remember asking the nurses if it was normal for a newborn to be letting out man farts. Haha. I swear the kid goes through a growth spurt at least once a week. He gained two whole pounds in the first month and he is already fitting into his 3 month outfits! It's crazy how the time flies! Before we know it, we will be on our way to Ethiopia to pick up his sibling. On that subject, we will be updating our home study in the next couple of months to include our new family member. Our caseworker says we should expect a referral call sometime in the year 2014. It still seems far away (especially since we started the process in 2011) but with Bennett here now, I really think the timing is going to work out great.

LOVE

Jeff is in his last semester of seminary. Thank the Lord! It only took FOUR years (seminary degrees are long), but so proud of him! He graduates in May and is already working on reappointing as a 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force. I'm still taking some classes online, but I'd like to take a few classes on campus this summer or fall. I'm going to a Graduate School Open House in March so I'm hoping to get started on my own Master's degree soon! I can't believe it has been almost ten years since I graduated high school. Jeff already has his ten year reunion this year and mine will be next year. Our little Benny will be walking by then! Ah!

We don't eat the teddy bear!

Baby, there ain't nothin' not affected
When two hearts get connected
All that is, will be, or ever was
I'm glad your dad could not resist
Your mama's charms and you exist
All because two people fell in love
You know, to me it's all so clear
Every one of us is here
All because two people fell in love

Our Little Gift

Gotta love that Brad Paisley...

Aww...