The Tooley Times

Miracles DO happen!

2011-10-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

On October 7th, the very same day my sister gave birth to two beautiful baby boys, Benjamin and Jacob, 3 perfect embryos were thawed and then implanted in me. The national statistics say that someone my age has an 18% chance of getting pregnant. Because Houston IVF is so incredible, Dr. Hickman predicted a 30 % chance with this FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer).

Guess what? God always knew that I would get pregnant again. In His way, His timing... Earthly rules and statistics DO NOT affect HIS will.

I AM PREGNANT! Glory to God! On October 31st I will have my first sonogram. We may even get to hear a heartbeat. I did have a feeling I was going to get pregnant. Yes, I prayed. We prayed. But a part of me is always hesitant to just let myself BELIEVE.
My faith is SO much stronger than it was years ago. But I have a long way to go.

happy and sad

2011-08-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

I am happy to be a mama. I am sad that my sister hasn't spoken to me in months. I am happy that BaBa is in heaven. I am sad that I didn't have more time and that she didn't get to meet Ruger here on earth. I am happy that we are trying to get pregnant again via a FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer). I am sad that my sister is pregnant with twins and I don't even know if she is having boys, girls or one of each?! I am happy that I know Jesus and have renewed my commitment to do life His way. I am sad for those that do not have a personal relationship with Him. I am happy that my family has made it through an extremely stressful year. I am sad that I made it so much harder than it needed to be. I am happy that I have wonderful, Godly friends who lift me up in prayer without me even asking for them to do so. I am sad that I shut them out when I am feeling down and depressed. I am happy for new beginnings. I am sad that I cannot take back hurtful words. I am happy that God wipes away my sin and casts them as far as the East is from the West. I am sad when people hold grudges. I am happy that my sons are healthy and strong. I am sad that I don't sleep more than 2-5 hours per night. I am happy to feel hope for the future. I am sad that PaPa's memory is fading fast. I am happy that we are traveling to Chicago to visit with him. I am sad that he has dementia and is separated from my sweet Mom.

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
-Proverbs 20:22

Ruger Lane Tooley

2010-11-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

Ruger Lane Tooley is here! Our miracle son decided to arrive a few days early...on our wedding anniversary! On November 2nd, I went in for my weekly checkup. Dr. Doucet looked at my blood pressure and the day's ultrasound pictures, and decided right then and there that November 2nd would be Ruger's birthday. To tell you the truth, I was a bit relieved. His weight was estimated to be about 6 lbs., 9 ounces.

Ruger Lane Tooley was born at 9:27 pm and weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs. 1 ounce and was 18 inches long. He left the hospital weighing 5 lbs., 11 ounces. He is perfect and a gift from God.

Today Ruger is one week old! He gained 4 ounces and is already 1/4" taller according to yesterday's appointment with Dr. Canales. GO RUGER! I already have a goofy nickname for him: Picky Pickle although he is not a picky eater (like his brother Asher) AT ALL!

I will write a post on the entire birth experience later. It was SO God filled. All my nurses at Bay Area ROCK! Love you all!

BaBa went to be with Jesus today.

2010-10-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Driving on my way home from my beautiful baby shower today, I knew that BaBa was gone. Just a few minutes later, I was lying in bed with Jeremy when my sister called with the news. I am sad but have peace knowing she is in heaven, dancing with her grandbabies that were too special to spend time here on earth with us.

I am thankful that my Mom did not suffer and did not have to endure months of pain. I wanted to see her again and say a proper goodbye, but she was called home today. Today she was reunited with her Mama. And her Daddy. I miss you so much Mom. I know you will be there for Ruger's birth. You will have the best seat in the house. Without you by my side, I don't know that we could have gone through all that we did to get pregnant. You were my rock.

Mary Ann Brainerd, my Mom, went to be with our Jesus today. You are so very missed BaBa.

We will take good care of PaPa for you.

Even still...JOY.

2010-10-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

I am 35 weeks and 6 days pregnant with my second miracle son, Ruger. My Mom is dying. I pray each day that she will get to meet her newest grandson this side of heaven. It has been hard to let myself celebrate, to allow myself feel the joy that is being pregnant against the odds.

My Mom moved back home to Chicago in August. Her leukemia is back in full force. Thank God she and my Dad are living with my sister and have been SO well taken care of. But I long to see her again. I want to be able to say goodbye. No, not goodbye. See you again BaBa. I do have some peace knowing that I get to see her again...that my babies in heaven will welcome her home with open arms and keep her company until I am called.

Trying to face that I may not have another before my Mom passes, I am being reminded of how very precious every moment is. Asher and I had such a day today, just hanging out. I hung on his every word. I cheated on my modified bedrest, bigtime. And I don't regret a minute of it. I felt joy that I have not felt in many months.

Due to my higher-risk pregnancy, I cannot travel until after Ruger is born on November 8th. Since I am having a scheduled c-section, I will have to heal before I can make a trip out to see her. I know God has His plan and I must remain strong. I want to be okay even if I don't get to say my last goodbye in person. My heart is heavy. But even still...JOY.

I am PREGNANT! Glory to God!

2010-03-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

Every Friday morning, a group of my friends and their kids meet up at Stingers in The Bluff for coffee and fellowship.

On Friday, March 12th, we were sitting around talking about life when I announced that I was not going to take a home pregnancy test until Sunday morning. I was defiantly going to hold out until then. Who was I kidding???

As soon as I got home from Stingers that day, I could not get POAS (peeing on a stick) out of my mind. It was afternoon, so not the ideal time of the day to take a pee test, but I caved. After I POAS, I got down on my knees and prayed. I thanked God for this journey and left it in His hands. I honestly did not want to look at the results.

Could I be? Really?

And yes, it was positive. My heart soared as I praised God over and over and over again. I tricked Jeremy into coming home early because there was NO WAY I was going to be able to keep this to myself until 5:30 pm! I will save the "how I told Jeremy" story for another day.

I still feel like I am in a state of shock. My FAB nurse Diane says it will hit me once I see the sac and HEARTBEAT on my first sonogram which is scheduled for THIS MONDAY at Houston IVF! I am so thankful that we are leaving for the Grundy Ranch on Friday so we can get in some R & R beforehand. I need me some C1 time!

I am SO excited, nervous, blessed, shocked and loved. God is so very good. He has been teaching me so much through this experience and I plan on allowing Him to use me how He sees fit. Glory to God!

even the broken ones...

2010-03-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

God has been teaching me and showing me incredible truths lately. I am so in love with my Lord!I am taking a wonderful Bible study online with Alene Snodgrass entitled I'm a Fixer-Upper. One morning during week two, I read about finding a special place to commune with Jesus.

Well, mine is usually right here sitting at my computer desk, or at my kitchen table. That morning, neither of those would do. I looked at my clock and it was only a little after 6 am, so I headed to the beach at Bob Hall Pier.

The sun was barely coming up as I started my walk. I was praying and walking along the shore when several sand dollars caught my eye. I decided to start searching for some perfect ones to take home with me when the Holy Spirit spoke to me:

"I made them all and they are all beautiful, even the broken ones."

I knew right way that He wasn't talking about sand dollars. He was talking about all of us. God calls us to love, to love all, not just those that are easy to love.

I decided right then and there that I was going to pick up every broken sand dollar, put them in my pocket, take them home with me, and cherish them. I picked one up and thanked God for giving me this special time with Him and for showing me that I needed to love all of His children. I promised Jesus that I would reach out more to others and do my part to share the Good News. I put that broken sand dollar in my pocket and kept on walking...

The next one I found was whole and had no blemishes. My heart smiled as I kept walking, picking up sand dollar after sand dollar. I must have picked up over twenty that morning, over half of them whole. I left the beach that morning with a new fire in my heart, a new longing to reach out and accomplish God's will for my life.

God loves us all and we ALL fall short. God loves the broken and imperfect and wants to teach us, to guide us, to love us.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn form me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. -Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)

THE LEGEND OF THE SAND DOLLAR

There's a pretty little legend

That I would like to tell

Of the the birth and death of Jesus

Found in this lowly shell

If you examine closely

You'll see that you find here

Four nail holes and a fifth one

Made by a Roman's spear

On one side the Easter Lily

Its center is the star

That appeared unto the shepherds

And led them from afar

The Christmas poinsettia

Etched on the other side

Reminds us of His birthday

Our Happy Christmastide

Now break the center open

And here you will release

The five white doves awaiting

To spread good will and peace

This simple little symbol

Christ left for you and me

To help us spread his Gospel

Through all eternity

-Anonymous

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." -Mark 16:15-16 (NIV)

A Gentle Thunder

2010-03-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

Nathanel said to Philip, "Can anything good come from Nazareth? Philip answered, "Coone and see." -John 1:46

Nathaneal's question still lingers, even two thousand years later...

Can anything good come out of Nazereth? Come and see. Come and see the pierced hand of God touch the most common heart, wipe the tear from the wrinkled face, and forgive the ugliest sin. Come and see. He avoids no seeker. He ignores no probe. He fears no search.

COME AND SEE. -Max Lucado

God is really working on me. There are some things in my past that I would like to forget. Some forgiving that I need to do...over and over and over...Childhood abuse, mistrust, and deeply rooted pain. God has taught me to forgive. Forgiveness does not have to = relationship. My wise Father-In-Law Tony taught me that. He also gave me the book The Shack which was instrumental in putting me back on the road to forgiving my brother.

Forgiveness has freed me in a way I never thought possible. And it is okay if I need to do it over and over again. God loves to hear me hand it over to him. Thank you Lord!

2010-03-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

Instead of your shame, you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy will be theirs. -Isaiah 61:7

God is a double-blesser!

I am typing this while three perfect embies may be attaching. I am hopeful. I thought this was the end of my "last medical hurrah". But God has given me double for my trouble, and then some. Three perfect embryos inside of me. THREE PERFECT embryos "on ice" (as my husband likes to say)! So I guess Houston IVF has not seen the last of us yet! I am in complete awe at what the Lord has done for us.

In my heart, I know God made a promise to me:

"You WILL be pregnant again." And I know he didn't give me this desire, this dream in vain.

He doesn't work like that. But it is going to be in His time, in His way. And I can't wait to see what's next. Glory to God!

My miracles!

2010-03-07T04:35:00.001-08:00

Today would normally begin the 2WW for me (2 week wait). This is exactly where my blog began almost 3 1/2 years ago when I was in the 2WW waiting to find out if I was pregnant with Asher after our first try with IVF! What an incredible journey this has been. And what a beautiful way to end my IVF journey. I am going to try to blog every day like I did back then.

The biggest difference now is that my wait will only be 8 days long because my results were so phenomenal that my embryos made it to the blastocyst stage, which is awesome for someone my age!!! I won't be able to share as much as I long to right this minute simply because I need to get my butt back to bed rest. I plan on sharing much more of this amazing journey!

We walked into Dr. Hickman's office yesterday morning and sat down. He said, "I have good news for you. No, I have great news. We have THREE PERFECT grade A/4 embryos to transfer this morning." I asked for a tissue.

"And...we have at least THREE MORE to freeze, possibly SEVEN!" I will find out how many will be "on ice" (Jeremy's term...LOL) on Monday. I am beyond blown away by my God. This last IVF experience has been such a beautiful experience filled with trials and Holy ease both at the same time. I have grown closer to Jesus than I have ever been. No matter the outcome, my faith is stronger. I am stronger. And I will never, ever be the same.

Implantation should take place sometime TODAY! I am so excited. I better get a cup of decaf and head back to bed rest on the couch. I am working on my fabulous online Bible study with Ilene Snodgrass called I am a Fixer-Upper. For more info, go to: http://imafixer-upper.blogspot.com/

More soon. I have SO much to share. Under Grace, Cheryl Ann :)

Be the kind of woman that...

2010-02-24T03:19:00.000-08:00

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning, the devil says, "Oh CRAP, she's up!"

My sweet Mother-in-Law sent that to me a few weeks ago and said she thought of me when she read it. I will take that compliment! In the eight (going on nine) years that I have been with Jeremy, I have been through a major transformation.

I went to church as a child. I attended CCD classes. I carried the wheat down the church isle during my First Holy Communion. But I didn't know I could have a personal, deep, ever-growing relationship with Jesus. Oh, I prayed and talked to God. I had moments of feeling connected and close to Him. But I just didn't get it.

Jeremy's Dad, Tony, led us to Bay Area Fellowship and Pastor Bil Cornelius. T-Tone looked into some possible churches for us and found out that he had attended the same theological seminary as Pastor Bil. He wrote out a list for us. BAF was at the top of the list so we decided to give it a try. Walking through the doors for the first time was really rather strange for me. Rock n' Roll? At church? People clapping and shouting praise to the Lord on High? Out loud? At church?

We were hooked! The Bible came alive to me in ways it never had before. It didn't take long before we became members and I started really reading the Bible and learning about having a personal relationship with Jesus. Through Bible studies, attending then co-leading a church hometeam, wise council and serving, my hunger to know Him more grew. And it keeps on growing. I am so very thankful to God for bringing me back to Him through Bay Area Fellowship and all the absolutely incredible friends we have now. To say that it has changed and SAVED my life is a complete understatement.

My focus now is to increase my territory and reach others who may be where I used to be...to encourage women in their walk with Jesus...to lift up those hurting from the pain that is infertility...I am gearing up to teach my second One on One with God class on April 7th. It will be on Wednesday mornings in my home from 10 am to 12 pm. You can read more about this incredible tool at: http://1on1wthgod.org/ Let me know if you would like more info!

I AM the kind of woman that when my feet hit the ground each morning, it says, "Oh CRAP, she's up!"

2010-02-22T06:13:00.000-08:00

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. -2 Corinthians 3: 17-18

This verse has been a recurring theme in my life lately. The day that I started my stimulating injectables, Asher accidentally jumped on my knee when it was at an odd angle. I ended up in the Emergency Room that night. Thank God, nothing is seriously wrong but I was in a lot of pain and could not put any weight on that leg until last night.

We got home from the ER at about 1 am and still had to take the second round of injectables, this one a new drug (for me) called Menopur. We searched and searched my big box of drugs for the correct syringes only to realize they definitely were not there. We had to call Nurse Diane out of bed at 1:30 am. She was able to help us mix and match needles we already had so that we could administer what I needed.

After we finally settled down for bed, I closed my eyes and prayed. I asked God why this happened and why things were becoming even more of a challenge and why it had to be so difficult. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was my crucifix. The Holy Spirit said to me, "Look at me." I cried tears of joy knowing that He is with me, in my heart and soul. He died for me and all to give me true life. The cross I have to bear is nothing, NOTHING compared to what Jesus took on. In my pain, I grow closer to him. I am beginning to understand that in suffering, I can choose to wallow or I can reach for the Glory.

While I was in the ER, they flagged my chart since I was going through in vitro and was told to stay away from any anti-inflammatory meds and steroids. TWO of the nurses at Bay Area Medical Center prayed for me. The gal that took my x-rays, I believe her name was Sarah, was so very sweet and just filled with the Spirit. Another nurse that was inputting my data into the computer said that she would pray for us. I cannot even accurately explain how filled with love I felt in the midst of defeat. I feel renewed and so close to my Maker.

In about 30 minutes, my friend Tasha is picking me up to take me back to Bay Area for a blood work check. I am at peace and feeling really happy. God is good. He is so good.

Secondary Infertility and Hope in Christ

2010-02-20T12:32:00.001-08:00

Secondary infertility is a funny thing.

If you had asked me three years ago when I was pregnant with Asher if I would desperately ache for another pregnancy in the future I probably would have told you "Huh? Of COURSE not! We have our miracle baby! Any more would just be icing on the cake! After four years of trying, tests, hormone treatments, disappointments and much prayer and determination, God has blessed us beyond my wildest dreams!"

But that would have been a lie. Fast forward to Christmas Eve, 2008. That morning I POAS = peed on a stick...and it was positive...and our little embryo was conceived NATURALLY.

"WOW! A Christmas Miracle!" I was in such utter disbelief that I walked into the living room where Jeremy was, holding the pregnancy test with my mouth wide open, not being able to speak a word. I couldn't even take the time to tell him in a cute, creative way.

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! God had answered our prayers again!

When you deal with infertility, most of us do not wait the customary 3 months before unveiling the news to family and friends. Most of them already know you have issues and know you are trying. So I started to share the news with friends and family. We were on cloud 9!

I had already been to my OBGYN's office for blood work to confirm my pregnancy. The nurse had called back and said, "Yep! You are definitely pregnant!" WOOHHHOOOOO! On New Year's Eve 2008 I had gone in for additional blood work to check my HCG levels. Despite the STAT nature of my paperwork, I did not hear back from my nurse that day. I had a tiny bit of a bad feeling creeping up inside of me but tried to hide it at the Ocker's New Year's Eve Fondue Extravaganza.

When I got home that night, my fears grabbed a hold of me and I POAS again...the line looked lighter...I just knew something was wrong...

A second ectopic pregnancy resulted in another surgery, another baby lost. I prepared myself that Dr. Doucet was probably going to have to remove both of my fallopian tubes. I started to deal with the sadness of knowing that I would never be able to get pregnant again the good ole' fashioned way. Dr. D prayed with me before I went under and I really had myself convinced that I was at peace. I was shocked when I woke up to the news that I still had one tube!

Hope renewed!

We were so excited that we were able to try on our own! I tracked my cycles over the next several months but, I was not ovulating. After much prayer, we decided that I should see Dr. D again. She put me on Clomid and it did get me ovulating. Every month I would let myself hope again only to have my dreams crushed at the end of each month. I cried, I prayed, I hoped, I doubted, I cried some more and every month I told Jeremy I just couldn't do it any more. I was DONE. I was serious THIS TIME! We would revisit my favorite adoption sites and dream. (I still think we will adopt one day, in God's time.) And then a few days later I would find the strength to let myself hope again.

I prayed to God to take away this desire if this was not something He wanted to happen. I begged God to take it away. But it is still there. It is different now but, it is still there. Nothing in my life has brought me to my knees more often than this road, this roller coaster ride called infertility. I have sought Him out and grown closer and closer to Jesus. I do not understand the how, the why or the when. But that is okay.

Today marks the real start of my last attempt at In Vitro Fertilization and medical intervention. Jeremy and I both know that God has led us to a new specialist at Houston IVF. If it is His will, we will be pregnant this time next month. If not, I know deep in my soul that God's plan is best. I will still weep and cry out to Jesus. I will still mourn what could have been. But I will hang on to this peace.

My hope is in Christ. I believe I have a great big family just waiting for me in Heaven. I don't allow myself to think of the lost babies very often because it hurts too much. But I should. They are going to grab my hands one day and lead me to my Father.

The New Year is Here!

2010-01-27T14:12:00.001-08:00

So far, 2010 has been a roller coaster ride. After much prayer, Jeremy and I decided to try another round of in vitro, this time with a new specialist in Houston, Dr. Hickmann. This journey through trying to grow our family has been a trying one, but nothing else in my life has brought me to my knees in prayer more often.

I do not know exactly what God has in store for us but I do know this: He is all I need. I need daily reminders but I am learning...

I am taking a new Bible study at BAFI (Bay Area Fellowship Island Campus) called Me, Myself & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild. It is teaching me to stop the negative self talk and keep my mind focused on Jesus. I just all the women I am growing alongside and I can't wait to see how much we grow.

Asher is so incredibly smart. He is already starting to read AND write. He will be 2.5 on the 13th of next month! He is now in a big boy bed and is just beginning to toilet train. He is really funny and brings such joy to our lives!

December 2009

2010-01-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

Ethan and his "earings". Hilar!

My sister and her family came to see us. Ethan and Asher became fast friends once again. They had too much fun jumping from Asher's bed onto Ethan's matress. It became a nightly ritual along with their streak around the house after bathtime. I wish my Lil Sissy lived closer!!!

My friend Heather gave birth to her beautiful little girl Madelyn Elizabeth on December 10th. She was 6 lbs, 15 ounces and 20 inches long. I took this picture of her when she was brand new!

Needless to say, my baby fever is in full swing...

We had a quietish Christmas at home. Asher and I baked a birthday cake for Jesus on Christamas Day. I truly am thankful for my family and feel blessed beyond belief!

Playing catch up...November 2009

2010-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

The biggest thrill of the month was the birth of Asher's newest cousin, Luke Hudson. He was born 11/7/2009 and weighed 7 lbs, 15 ounces + 21 1/4 inches long. Lukie is the little guy pictured below with all the hair. What a cutie patootie!

We traveled to Arlington for his birth but he stinker showed up 11 days late! We were supposed to meet him during Thanksgiving but Asher had other plans and decided to get the flu the night before we left. So we ended up having Thanksgiving here at home with Baba and Papa Brainerd.

Asher had a blast at BAFI's first Fall Festival and at his Fall program for school!

My chicken poxed Ninja...

2009-11-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

Asher had the chicken pox during Halloween so Baba had the great idea for him to trick or treat door to door at home! He loved it and was so excited. Every day since, he has asked to trick or treat. Mashman LOVES lollipops! But even more he loves to "drum it like Cheryl". Cheryl plays drums for the worship band at church.

7 YEARS with my prince...

2009-11-03T10:51:00.001-08:00

Jeremy and I celebrated our 7th anniversary last night with our hometeam. What a great way to spend it! I am so thankful for all that God has blessed me with. My husband is my rock here on earth. Smasher continues to amaze us every day.

We are faithfully praying the prayer of Jabez... for God to bless us indeed, increase our territory, to be with us always and to keep us far from evil. I love this prayer because it asks for God to bless us in HIS way, not our own.

We still pray specifically for more children, for our friends and family and for our businesses, but I know there is real power in sincerely praying the prayer of Jabez. I am blessed!!! Keep it coming, Lord!

Happy Birthday Babe!

2009-08-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

I am so proud to be your wife.

Asher's Birthday + 13 days = Daddy's Birthday

2009-08-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

I love my 2 men. We celebrated Asher's 2nd birthday here at home. Lots of friends, cake and PONY RIDES! Tomorrow is Jeremy's birthday. My husband is the best! I love you babe!!!!

Happy Birthday Sissy!

2009-07-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

I miss you. I hope you can sleep over soon...

A message for Grammy Tooley...Love, Master Asher

2009-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

puppy love

2009-07-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Summer lovin'

2009-07-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...

2009-04-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What a year it has been so far...

My best friend Julie and I met in Hawaii back in the early 90s. We met while getting certified to have childcare in our homes on base. At that time, we were the only two in our class that did not already have children of our own. Julie invited me to lunch that very first day and from there we built a friendship unlike any other I have known. We have been through thick and thin together.

On February 20th Julie's husband, Abraham Lincoln Monteiro returned home to be with our heavenly Father. A few weeks ago, Julie sent me the cd that we played at his funeral service. I haven't been able to watch it until this morning.

Abe and Julie came to Corpus Christi to meet little big man Asher just after he was born. We had a wonderful time together. Abe fell in love with Asher and Tug, one of our English bulldogs. Little did I know this would be the only time I would spend with him. I am thankful for that tiny glimpse into his life with my soul sister, Ju Ju.

I flew out to Las Vegas to be with Julie and help in any way I could. Before I left, my mother-in-law prayed over me and told me that God was equipping me for the future. I didn't know how I could handle seeing my best friend go through this. I was so scared. But He was with me and held my hand as I boarded the plane.

I sat down next to two young children, a girl about 10 and her younger brother. As soon as I sat down, the sweet girl says to me, "Oh, do you go to Bay Area Fellowship?" The question took me by surprise as I answered, "Yes, how would you know that?". She replied, "I have a bracelet just like yours. My friend gave it to me." I looked down to see my pink, plastic bracelet that was my ticket to our upcoming women's GLO conference. At that moment, I knew this trip would be a good one. I was at peace.

My trip was filled with tears, preparation, soul-searching, prayer, fellowship, and pain with tender moments of laughter and joy thrown into the mix. Julie's friends and family became my own during those six days. I missed Jeremy and Asher like crazy, but my friend needed me. Julie was strong and gracious through it all.

Julie has seen me through some very tough times. Times I don't care to revisit very often. It was during those times that Julie would point me back to God. For many difficult years, Julie was the only person who could calm me (often over the phone after I moved from Hawaii) when I was crying uncontrollably from what felt like pure agony. When I was single and lonely, it was Julie who would tell me, "Just you wait Cheryl, God has the perfect guy out there for you. Trust in Him."

I am in the middle of redoing my office to accommodate both my real estate business and my new photography venture, graced images. As I was sorting through years of files and photos, I came across a box filled with cards, pictures and letters from my Ju Ju. A box filled with many many years of love. What a treasure. Thank you Lord, for this friend of mine.

Julie, I miss you and love you more than you will ever know. I thank God for you and our friendship. We have made so many memories together and I cannot wait to make more. I am so proud of you and the woman you are...the SuperMom, the dreamer, the people-fixer, the party planner/hostess with the mostess, the student who wouldn't give up, the caring nurse, the loving wife...My forever friend, my best friend, my Ju Ju.

beachy photo shoot with Papa and (sm)Asher

2009-03-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Baby Audrey!

2009-03-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

This sweet baby girl was admitted to Driscol on the evening of March 1st. Thanks to Tasha for keeping us up-to-date.

Below is the latest from her courageous Mom, Jessyka:

Hello once again,
Today (wed) was not easy. Audrey's condition seems to have changed and not for the better. The infection in her kidney and blood has increased. Dr took another urine test via catheter, more blood work and the saddest, a spinal tap. That one freaked me out as I signed the consent form! Dr's need to rule out meningitis even though they don't think Audrey has it.

A kidney specialist talked with us and will see us again tomorrow when the results come back. Audrey was also hooked to continuous IV fluids and a catheter was placed to remove all urine so that nothing is sitting in her bladder. She continues to recieve antibiotics via IV twice a day for one hour. All of these tubes now make it impossible to take a walk around the 6th floor area with her and hard to pick her up without getting tangled. It was overall a very difficult, anxiety crazed day for Audrey and Paul and I.

Paul had been at work (just to stop in for a few hours) when all of this was happening, all so fast and when I called him, he immediately decided to forget about work for the day. Who wouldnt?
Thank you all for your prayers. We believe their power will get baby Audrey through this.

Love Jessyka, Paul, Baby Audrey and the cats

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord,

Please guide the doctors and nurses and heal baby Audrey. Please wrap your loving arms around her parents and give them the strength they need. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Please keep praying & paging for Manda!

2009-02-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

From her friend Shay via my sister-in-law Kel:

Hey class,

I just went by and visited Manda's house. Manda was napping but I had a chance to chat with Cindy (Manda's mom). Guys…the battle is really just beginning for sweet Manda. Please continue to lift her up in prayer throughout the day. Aaron and Manda are at the beginning of a very long battle to get Manda better. You have all been so generous with your cards, donations, and prayers…but many more are needed.

From what I understand, Manda will hopefully be going to MD Anderson in Houston for treatment. We will be collecting money for their family for many months to come. If you would like to make a donation, please give it to me or Andrew and we will put it in the fund we started. Manda is one of the strongest people I have ever met. I think she is going to fight the fight of her life. Please continue to pray (and page! 972-229-4207). Love you all, Shay Shull

P.S. Yes, Asher took this picture of himself. What a stinker!

Please continue to pray and page for Manda- details in the posts below... Thanks!

reaching for the dream

2009-02-18T02:53:00.000-08:00

I have been noticing a stirring around me...many of my friends are right in the middle of some tough life. Pray. Pray.

Myself, I am on fire for my Lord and am working on longer listening to the lies of the enemy. For too long I have let doubt, fear and worry mess with my head and paint pictures of situations that have never even come to pass.
Thank you for this post. I know this season of great energy and enthusiasm will change as life always does, but I am going to take new ground for God while I am here.

The Holy Spirit has been moving me. I have been trying hard to obey without talking myself out of certain things and situations. Each time I do this, His voice becomes more clear and it makes me trust Him even more. I can now say that I truly know what it feels like to surrender control to My Maker. Valentine's Day ended up being a huge turning point for me and one of the best days of my life. Has God ever set up a Divine appointment for you and you didn't even know it was coming? Yeah...He is just that good.

I am still processing it and will definitely write about what happened that day once I can focus on it without bursting into tears of joy and gratefulness (like I am doing right now). This story involves my Big Dream. The one God put into my heart as a small child....It involves a ranch, wanting to reach the lost, my own insecurities challenged, a sweet horse trainer named Linda from Canada and an Appaloosa named Chocolate Chip.

Simply put, I will never be the same. To God be the Glory.

MLMLME...My Love, My Life, My Everything

2009-02-14T04:38:00.000-08:00

L is for the way you LOVE me through good times and bad.

O is for OBEDIENCE. Watching you grow in your faith makes my heart sing!

V is for VICTORY! Ours was a Holy hookup for sure. The victory is that we know Jesus.

E is for EVER after. Asher is our miracle boy. I have a feeling our Happily Ever after has just begun! I love you so very much Jeremy and I am so proud of all you do for our family and more importantly, for God's Kingdom! Happy Valentine's Day Babe.

Jeremy and I both have MLMLME engraved on our wedding rings. While this applies to God in our lives first, we both love each other so very much. God has really been working on our relationship. It has not been easy, but I know God will use it for His glory.

I love you MY SEXY TRUCKER MOGUL!!!!!

Manda's surgery update!

2009-02-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Please continue to lift up this sweet family and use the prayer pager! Details in yesterday's post...YAY God! Below is an update from the hubby...

Friends,

Below is an update from Aaron, Manda's husband, regarding this morning's amputation. Thank you for your prayers! Please continue:)

Aaron wanted to share this: "Manda's surgery went well. Doctor said he had adequate margin of good tissue to keep all of her fibia and some of her knee which is a huge blessing for a prosthesis. Next step is the full biopsy prognosis to determine the amount of chemo required. Next prayer is for a quick recovery and the cancer results to be the best of the 2 possible sarcoma cancers that they think it is." Brandon

Please pray for this sweet family.

2009-02-11T11:16:00.001-08:00

Dear Family & Friends,

My sister-in-law sent this to me so I am posting it in hopes you can join us in prayer.

From Kel:

I'm asking for you to please pray for our friend from church (and former co-worker of mine), Manda. Manda gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Aiden, two weeks ago, and a few days after being home from the hospital, she broke her leg. It was discovered that Manda has a re-occurrence of cancer (specific kind that was only in her leg or leg muscle) that she had as a child. She is scheduled to have her leg amputated above the knee this Friday, the 13th. She will also be started on chemo and radiation. This will be very difficult as she will be unable to care for her new baby for several days. She and hubby, Aaron, have long awaited the arrival of this little guy. Please pray that the cancer will continue to be contained, that her recovery will be smooth, that her (& Aaron's) spirits will be comforted, and that baby Aiden will receive everything he needs in the days and weeks to come. They are such a wonderful couple, and love the Lord! Their trust is in Him completely.

Manda & Aaron's Sunday school group have several months set up for meals, home cleaning, couples on call each week for any of their needs, etc. They have also provided a "prayer pager." Each time someone prays for them, they are encouraged to "call the pager" and just type in a random number, such as "1111." No names are needed, as prayers can be anonymous. I know this will greatly encourage them. We were told to please pass the number along to anyone who will be praying for them. The pager number is: 972-229-4207. Directions for calling a pager are below, in case you are unfamiliar with how to call one:

When you call the number, it will ask you to "leave your numeric tone", after that you type in some numbers and then hit #. After hitting #, you'll hear several short beeps and that means it went through.

Thank you for praying for our friends!

Kelly & Derek

Kenneth Faced the Giants, AND WON!!!!!

2009-02-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

Last night, I experienced a real life Facing the Giants (incredible movie. Thank you Al. Wag)moment. Kenneth and Candace are dear to my heart. They are the leaders of our children's ministry at BAFI (Bay Area Fellowship Island). Each of them gives and gives and never asks for anything in return. I love them.

So last night was Asher's first Ice Rayz hockey game. FAITH NIGHT! How awesome is that?

We were sitting up in the nose bleeds right under Kenneth and Candace. I felt dizzy and nauseous way up there and Asher was really restless and wanted to move around. Being the stubborn girl I am, I proceeded to connive my way down to a better seat.

We ended up in a box suite thanks to Brian, whom Jeremy plays with in the BAFI band. BONUS! Asher danced and clapped his way through to the 3rd period!

Flash forward to the $10K diamond giveaway that took place during one of the intermissions. Yes, I typed 10 Ks...ten THOUSAND dollars...ten g's...ten big ones...

Kenneth had been chosen to participate in the giveaway and stood 2nd in line in front of a table. Each contestant was asked to choose between a box or the shinny briefcase that our Mayor was holding. When it became Kenneth's turn, he chose the briefcase. Every other person chose the box. At any time, someone could have traded with K and taken away his shinny. When it came down to the final choice, K was asked if he wanted to change his mind. Nope. He would stay with the shinny.

Just before the briefcase was opened, I thought, this is a Facing the Giants moment, right here, right now. This humble man is going to win a ten thousand dollar diamond ring. I just knew it. He cried. I cried. God is good.

What an awesome idea!

2009-02-07T04:09:00.001-08:00

1. I have a huge heart for adoption. I do believe we will adopt, and I am convinced that God will make the who, what, where and when plainly obvious in His time. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord."

2. I love love love photography. I have been picking up my camera every day and have a big announcement to make soon. :)

3. Check out this blog. This is one of the coolest ideas I have ever seen! Seriously brilliant.

Click below:

http://asisterforthebean.blogspot.com/

4. Please join us in prayer. We trust in God's plan to grow our family. We will pray. And wait. And glorify our Lord in good times and bad. He is good. He is merciful. Life is beautiful.

Love is in the air!

2009-02-04T19:50:00.001-08:00

Monica took this awesome shot of Dee Dee Wednesday night!

Watching Dee Dee sing her heart out tonight made mine soar. First Wednesday was incredible as always. Our church, Bay Area Fellowship, gives the Lord an avenue to change lives. Period. Watching so many young people getting baptized in the name of Jesus reminds me that God is working in all of our lives. No pain is ever wasted. I know that big things are in the works and I am excited. We are beyond blessed to have Pastor Bil and his wife Jessica. They are the real deal. :)

Asher's vocab...

2009-01-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

Asherman is a talking fool! Here is his vocabulary to date:

Asher, Amen, BaBa (grandma B), Baby, Button, Cat, Church, Cookie, Cracker, Dada, Daddy, Dog, Duck, Eat, Eight, Elbow, Five, Four, God, Hair, Hallelujah, Hello, Help, Hi, Hot, Jesus, Mama, Mom, Nine, Nose, One, Outside, Papa, Phone, Quack Quack, Quad, School, Seven, Shoe, Six, Socks, Ten, Three, Tug, Twenty, Two, Walk, Booger, please, agua, balloon, money, hello, hi, bye bye, eat, juice, quad, bare butt, eye, toes, knee, no no no, go away please, car, truck, Google, eBay, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight , nine, ten, cat, dog, horse, cow, duck, lama, peacock, monkey, book, more, again, up, down, big belly, belly button, mouth, holla, amen, God, all done, bricks, home, tree, fish, octopus, heart, Santa, kiss, hug, happy birthday, Mom, open, shirt, pants, socks, shoe, yeah, ready, set, go, I run, help, pumpkin, girl, heart, oval, animal, blocks, pizza, bubbles, George, Dora, what, banana, blue, apple, green, yellow, orange, purple, red, Bugga, wait, all gone, feet, bugger, hot dog ,fork ,spoon ,school, just wait, eggie, Juice…..

Phew!

We love our little Big Man!

WE MISS DADDY!

2009-01-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

My (m)Asher came down with a nasty virus piggy backing a fever so...I ended up staying home and missing our Vegas trip. BOO HOO! Jeremy headed out to collect a handsome award for all his hard work with Acme. My husband is the best! I miss him so much. We definitely made the right call by deciding for me to stay home with lil' genius but...I am so sad that our getaway plans were foiled once again! I cannot tell you how many times our plans have been shot down. But I know God has His reasons, and that is good enough for me.

I hear a nice bed and breakfast calling my name out there somewhere!

Happy Birthday Grammy T!

2009-01-16T10:10:00.001-08:00

To: Grammy Tooley

Love: (sm)Asher Holden

the beach

2009-01-16T08:59:00.001-08:00

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

May God bless each and every one of you this year!

Looks like...

2009-01-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

we will have to wait to meet our sweet baby in heaven. I am sad to report I am having a miscarriage. I am not going to give up hope. God will lead us. Thank you all so much for the love and support you share with us. It means SO much to us!

Merry Christmas! I am pregnant!!!

2008-12-25T18:20:00.000-08:00

God is up to something beyond wonderful!

2008-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Our Savior's birthday is near!

As we were taking our family Christmas card pictures last weekend, Asher decided to eye-butt Jeremy. Luckily, we got a good shot in before his eye began to turn black and blue. Poor Daddy!

Ethan and Asher...cousins and buds!!

2008-12-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

My sister, Adrianne, her husband Craig and Asher's too cool cousin, Ethan, came to visit us for Thanksgiving. We took our traditional trip to the aquarium where one of the dolphins played with Ethan and his coveted car. The dolphin was trying to get at it through the glass. We had a blast! The boys' favorite time of day was bath time. I loved watching them splash around and laugh their cute little rears off. After they got out of the tub, they would run around the house naked like a couple of wild banshees. We miss you!!!!

So much to be thankful for...

2008-11-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

My family is surrounded by so many Godly, fun, giving, supportive, energetic friends. I am so thankful that when I am down, my friends are always there to pick me back up. I am forever thankful for my miracle son, Asher. If God decides that He wants us to have more, it will be. I am not going to give up hope.

There are so many women out there who go through major struggles with infertility. No one knows what it feels like except for them. My heart breaks for those that have yet to experience motherhood. But I do believe that God gives us the pure and good desires of our hearts.

Jeremy and I are going to both sign up with a Christian adoption program and go for another round of in vitro. God is so good to us and has led us down our path for a reason. It has been a crazy walk. But my Jesus deserves for me to be strong and hopeful...and to keep praising Him through it all. We love you all and thank you so much for just being you.

Countdown: 2 days

2008-10-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

So...In just 2 short days, I will go in for my serum pregnancy test. I have surprised myself and have not taken a single home pregnancy test this time around. I am going to try to just wait on the official results. It has been hard but, this way, I don't make myself crazy with wonder. I know God already knows and that is good enough reason for me to just wait.

Asher is getting to be such a complete hoot. His fav word of the moment is "elbow". Ba Ba taught him that one. He is a sign language machine and signs the following: baby (my fav), more, fence, blanket, sleep, bath, milk (his first one), and drink. He is like a sponge. Thank you Baby Einstein!

Please pray for continued peace.

Love,

Cheryl

Amen!

2008-10-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Saturday, 2 very good-looking embryos will be implanted! Praise God! We will head out to San Antonio early to make our 9 am appointment. And then begins the two week wait. Of course we want both embryos to make it. Asher says he wants a brother and a sister. Or two sisters. Or two brothers. God has been keeping me busy by really growing my heart in so many ways so... I am praying for that to continue. Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers. Have a beautiful weekend and love on your family!

5 eggs

2008-10-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will find out how many little embryos God is working on...We are so excited!

Dig PINK!

2008-10-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

We had a blast last Friday watching the Islanders play volleyball during "Dig Pink Night". Along with our awesome friends The Ockers and their new company, Cornerstone Fabrication Solutions, Jeremy's companies helped sponsor this night to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer. The night was a HUGE success! Liette's class (she is a professor at A & M- impressive, I know!) worked hard to come up with the campaign, t-shirt design, the whole shabang. I give them and Liette an A ++++. I missed Liette in the dunk tank...bummer...

Even though our ladies were the underdog, the night went to five games and they almost won! We missed the last game as Asher was pooped. We had such a great night and look forward to the next one!

Third time a charm?

2008-10-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

God has blessed us with the provision to go through another round of in vitro. Everything has gone soooo smoothly this time around. I am still responding amazingly to the stimulating hormones called Gonal F and completed my last injection last night. On Thursday, Jeremy and I will travel to San Antonio for my egg extraction. From the looks of this sonogram, we may just get several nice eggs! After Jeremy does his part, they will pair us and form embryos.

If everything goes as planned, we will be back on Saturday or Sunday for the implantation of embryos into my uterus. We know God is the Master Physician and will grant us more babies in His time. We just hope and pray that the time is now! We give all the glory to God and have much peace about this, no matter the outcome.

Please join us in prayer. We are praying for peace and calm over the next week. We lift up Dr. Schenken and his wonderful nurses. God is amazing and His timing and plan are perfect. We are thankful for this opportunity and pray for continued strength in Him. In Jesus name, Amen.

Who are you rooting for?

2008-10-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

Take this quiz and see if your true desires line up with your President of choice:

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139

It's fun and unbiased...

Stinger Fridays

2008-10-03T13:15:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good coffee, great company, and a coffee shop full of children. A sweet way to spend the day just before the quiet of nap time!

Just because Kirby said I should post pictures!

2008-10-01T19:41:00.001-07:00

This one says it all!!!

such a wonder

2008-09-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Big boy (sm)Asher

2008-09-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

Moments that melt the heart...

2008-09-29T19:52:00.001-07:00

Baby Cali is here!

2008-09-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Baby Cali Fisher Schaded was born on Tuesday, September 23rd at 4:42 pm. At that time she was 6 lbs, 12 ounces and is 20 inches long. She has gorgeous ruby lips, dark hair and the cutest cheeks! PRAISE GOD that a cyst on her head was successfully removed without any complications. She is now happy and snug at home.

Jeremy teared up after finally getting to hold her. Cali is so blessed to have a great Mommy and Daddy, a really fun big sister, Kayla, and a awesome big brother, Ethan. Tasha is one strong woman. I am so proud of you! May God continue to bless your beautiful family!

Prince of the Trampoline

2008-09-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

Getting to know cousin Noah!

2008-09-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

Praise God! The cousins meet at long last! Hurricane Ike sent us packing to Arlington to Grammy and Grandpa's house. They graciously took us all in for several days. Grammy T even made reservations for the pups at a posh kennel! Noah and Asher are like two peas in a pod. Thanks to Noah, Asher is now walking like a big boy. We all wish these two lived closer to each other! Auntie Kel and I were two proud Mommies! This trip was a wonderful time of happiness and healing. Thank you so much Mum and Dad T for your love. We miss you!

A prayer for healing.

2008-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

This week has worn heavily on my heart. I received sad news about two families that I know and love. Please pray for healing for the Sohl family and the Smith family.

This is an excerpt from a prayer written for the Sohl family from my father-in-law, Tony Tooley. He is an incredible man of God and truly wise:

"We have to admit that we never understand why these things happen but have confidence that You always do and that you alone can turn curses into blessings.

We are fallen creatures Lord – all of us. And we are at your mercy and call for a special anointing of your grace at this time. Truly your grace is sufficient for all our needs and You have given to us everything we need to live happy and productive lives that bring glory to You. May today be a new step in this direction and may we all love you in a deeper way by the end of today." -Tony

Happy Happy Birthday to my Sexy Husband!

2008-08-26T04:01:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I am so incredibly thankful that God has blessed me with such an incredible husband. We have grown so much as a couple and as parents. I am excited to see what God has planned for us!

Jeremy is my rock here on earth. I LOVE YOU BABE!

Asher's new house!

2008-08-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Pappy and Gamma AKA: Ba Ba Brainerd bought Asher his first house! He loves it!

More party pictures!

2008-08-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Birthday Bash

2008-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Asher had a blast! Thanks to everyone for sharing this special day with our big boy! Mum, Dad and Aunite Bek Bek, you made this day extra extra special. We love you so much and can't wait til' we get together again! God is GREAT!

complete cuteness

2008-08-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

Happy First Birthday Asher

2008-08-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

One year ago, God granted our greatest wish...you were born.

We love you so much!

Kissy Kissy

2008-08-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Birthday Da-Doo...

2008-08-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad! Asher REALLY misses his Pappy! Jeremy and I miss you too. Tug and Sophie are crying because they miss you so much!

We can't wait to see you. Have fun and know that we love you very very much! God has a great year in store for you, I just know it!

Happy Birthday Baby SIS!

2008-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

July 31st

Happy Birthday SIS! I miss you so much! PLEASE come sleep over soon! When we were little, my sister and I used to put notes under each other's bedroom doors asking one another if we wanted to sleep over. My sister is an amazing woman and a super fun Mom! I am forever trying to talk her into moving down here but, I don't think that is going to happen. I can always dream....

Love you Little Sissy.

BAFI

2008-08-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Bay Area Fellowship Island in the making...The first meeting was on March 31st, 2008. The pure passion that our life-changing Pastor, Bil has was unmistakable. God uses those that he can trust with BIG plans! Thank you so much Pastor Bil for bringing us closer to Him, Our Father.

Flash forward to this past Sunday. The house was packed while my Prince played guitar during music worship! I am so proud of him. I love you Jeremy, my sexy trucker mogul.

Blessed be Your Name Jesus!

Pineapple Face

2008-07-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

Cheeky Little Monkey

2008-07-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

****************************Asher is just one Cheeky Little Monkey. He took his first steps June 16th (his Grammy Brainerd's birthday!)and is still working on it. He will take 2 steps every now and again but he wants to run and this walking thing is just getting in his way.

Right now, Asher's two favorite places are his pool and the swing at the park. I just love looking at his pineapple -faced smile!*

Why is Asher so sad?

2008-07-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is too precious...

Loved

2008-07-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Grandad, Grammy and Double G Nan met up with us in San Antonio while Jeremy and I completed In Vitro adventure #2. I cannot say enough thanks to The Tooley Clan for being there for us. I felt so blessed and loved. And Asher LOVES you all so much!

little Big Stunt Man

2008-06-22T16:57:00.001-07:00

Uh oh...Not only is Asher now standing up in his crib, he has NO fear...none.

Check him out...heeeeeeere's Stunt Baby:

Happy Birthday to Gorgeous Gammy!

2008-06-18T14:19:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Happy Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you so much and miss you tons already! Asher misses singing, swimming and just hanging out with you.

In honor of his fabulous Gammy, Asher pulled himself up to standing for the first time on your birthday, June 16th! It is all over now! LOL

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Happy Daddy's Day!

2008-06-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~What a feeling it was to turn to Jeremy at church last night and say "You're a Daddy!"

And what a Daddy he is. Asher LOVES him so much. Thanks babe for helping me bring our beautiful boy into this world. We are blessed.

I LOVE YOU like crazy! And so does (sm)Asher!

And to Daddo,

We love you! All of us miss you so much! Happy Father's Day! Asher is ready for a swim!

Catching up with Little Big Man...

2008-06-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Asher loves...

His Da Da

All of his Gammas and Pa Pas

Dancing with Mommy

Swimming

Saturday morning pancakes

Reading

Long walks to the Turtle Pond

Baby Einstein, particularly Meet the Orchestra

Playing with Tug and Sophie

Hanging out with his buddies at church

Refried Beans

The Flat Earth Piggy

More Hooks game gems...

2008-05-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

~Isaac's Birthday at the Ballpark~

2008-05-07T20:02:00.001-07:00

Having a kid is like getting to be a kid all over again. Asher was invited to his big friend Isaac's birthday party at the Hooks game this past Saturday. We all had an absolute blast. Asher ate pizza and cake and played with all of his friends. Thanks Wags for a great day!

We may have a little cowboy on our hands...

2008-05-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Asher loved the rodeo. He took his #1 babysitter, Arianna AKA NaNa. She is such a beautiful girl, both inside and out. We all had a blast. Thanks to Mike and Matilda for the awesome tickets!

The little boys riding the "bucking" sheep is always my favorate...then the barrels. I have a feeling Asher is going to love horses. My Uncle Roy is watching for heaven with a big grin on his face...and a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. My Uncle Roy used to call me his Lil' Pill. He put me on my first horse when I was only two. I will have to dig up the pictures.

Asher loves his Grammy and Grandpa Tooley!

2008-05-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Early in April, Grammy and Grandpa Tooley rolled back into town. We crammed a LOT into a few days. They hauled a new King bed all the way down here for us. YAY! Thanks G & G!

We headed to the Kingsville Air Show where we got VIP treatment thanks to Mike G. Asher woke up from a nap to the Blue Angel's flying overhead. He wore his cool rocker ear protectors and had a blast.

Mum bought me my first sewing machine! I have been practicing my stitches and plan to be sewing up a storm. Thank you so much Mum Tooley. I have always wanted to learn how to sew!

Grandpa Tooley made Asher laugh with tummy tickles. Jeremy is now doing it with him and he loves it!

We can't wait to see you again.

Clapping and Crawling...

2008-05-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 4th: Asher is entertained by the receipt checker on our way out of Sam's club and he starts clapping. Of course, I missed it but Daddy got to see a first for a change! Now, he won't stop clapping and has combined it with snorting. He sounds like a wounded seal. Too cute.

Monday, May 5th: Asher crawls! He pushes up with his arms and then goes into "running man". He looks like he is doing calisthenics. So precious. Our baby is not so much of a baby anymore. Sigh, time to have two more!

Please join us in prayer. We go back up to San Antonio on Friday for an ultrasound. Our current in vitro was cancelled due to my estrogen levels being sky high. That combined with over 30 follicles became too risky so my (awesome) doctor decided to cancel this round. We truly feel that God wants to grow our family. I just need to be patient and let Him lead us.

After Asher's first crawl, I headed to Dr. Garcia's office here in Corpus Christi. I was on the brink of walking pneumonia. I felt like crap but my incredible husband came home early to take care of me and Little Big Man. My husband ROCKS!

Check out my two gorgeous men in action:

joy

2008-04-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! He is risen!

2008-03-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Let us all remember the real reason for Easter. Everywhere you look, there are chocolate bunnies and Peeps and fluffy stuffed lambs. Cute? Yeah...

But it is all about THE CROSS.

Every year, I want Asher to have a fabulous Easter basket on our doorstep waiting for him when he wakes up in the morning. We had an absolute blast at his first Island Easter egg hunt yesterday with all of his buddies.

But most importantly, Asher will grow up learning about the incredible price Christ paid so that all of our sins may be forgiven. Thank you God.

Grandpa's Big Boy

2008-03-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Asher LOVES his Grandpa B. He loves Grandma Bas well and Grandpa and Grammy Tooley...but Grandpa B can light up his face every time he calls out "How's my Big Boy" or simply by walking into a room... like no one else. Here they are in my Dad's hat from Australia. Yes, my Dad tries to get free stuff from Outback Steak House EVERY time we go there by telling anyone who we run into that, "This is a REAL Outback hat." He is funny.

Little Bunny boy...

2008-03-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Jeremy discovered teeth 5, 6 and 7 today. Asher thinks he is a big boy now and I let him. We decorated Easter eggs tonight. Little Big Man jumped around the entire time chit chatting with the dogs. Good times, good times...

Asher was so tired he fell asleep in my arms right after his bedtime books Awwwww...simply precious.

At the park...

2008-03-18T19:57:00.001-07:00

Asher a GO GO!

2008-03-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

This child does not stop moving. I am amazed at his energy and constant happiness. What a gift from God!

~Gorgeousness~

2008-03-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Asher and Ethan together again!

2008-03-14T10:04:00.001-07:00

Jeremy is famous!

2008-02-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and Asher are on Celebrity Baby Blog:

http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/02/even-more-happy.html

Scroll down past the post on Eva Longoria buying pink blankets...
Does that mean Asher is a celebrity? LOL
I love my two men!

Bay Area Fellowship rainbows from God

2008-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful church, Bay Area Fellowship, just celebrated its 10 year anniversary this past on January 19, 2008. A week later on Sunday, Jeremy and I had driven out of town to look at a ranch for sale. On the way home, I suggested we drive by the church to see if we could find any available land close to it. As we drove up to the church it started to rain. Jeremy said, "Look, a rainbow!" I told him to pull over so I could take pictures.

When I got out of the car, at that very moment, the end of the rainbow landed on the church. As I stood there in awe, snapping away, ANOTHER rainbow appeared. The two rainbows ended up enveloping our church. God spoke to my heart in ways I can't even describe. I will shared these photos and story with Pastor Bil before service on Sunday as I am sure God wanted him to have this message of encouragement and love. As we watched, the rainbows left with the increasing rain. Only two minutes had gone by.

Jeremy and I have a God-given (and driven!) dream in our hearts to have a ranch that will be a way for us to reach out to the underprivileged kids in Corpus Christi. I would like to run a non-for-profit program that has children "adopt" a miniature horse. It will also be a place where couples and families can come to heal and either learn about Christ for the first time, or strengthen their Faith.

After listening to Pastor Bil speak over the past few years, and especially the past few weeks, it has become pretty clear to us both that we need to move forward with this dream and make it a reality. Please join us in prayer for both our wonderful Pastor, Bil Cornelius, and our ranch plans. God has been so good to us and we are excited to see what is next! Love to you all!

Jumperoo Cowboy!

2008-01-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

beauty

2008-01-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

Sleeping Cutie

2008-01-25T19:07:00.000-08:00

When Asher goes to sleep, he does this little maneuver/flip to put himself into position. We call it the Tooley Turn. Too precious.

Uncle Jon and Auntie Ash

2008-01-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

Jeremy's brother Jon and his gorgeous wife, Ashley came down this past weekend. Jon is just a complete natural around babies and Ash must have the baby bug BAD after spending time with cutie nephew Noah, and now Little Big Man, Asher.

The time flew by but we squeezed a lot into the days. Asher loves his Auntie and Uncle and can't wait to see them again!

A LOT happens around here before 9 am!

2008-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Asher and I had a fun morning. He got up early- around 6 am, so... he ate, watched Baby Einstein, played in the Jumperoo (that our awesome friends the Wags let us borrow- you rock!), had some tummy time, played with his Lambie Twinkle (more on him later- unbelievable interactive toy!) while watching the Tiny Love video, took a catnap, let Mommy take pictures, had another bottle and sent Daddy off to work...PHEW! The last picture was taken yesterday of (Sm)Asher in a cute outfit from Grammy Tooley- too cute!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T21:26:00.000-08:00

2007 has been our best yet! Asher is the biggest blessing and makes our lives new. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for everyone this coming New Year! May God continue to bless you and yours. Love, The Tooley Clan

How many?

2007-12-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

How many fingers can one little boy fit in his mouth?