30 Day Challenge: Day 3: My First Love

I am way behind in blogging so I thought the best way to get back into it would be to continue working on my 30 day (more like 100 day) challenge.

Day 3 is First Love

Most of you doing this will list your husband as your first love. Well as most of you know, my husband Rich is the most amazing man I have ever met and I love him more than anyone. But he wasn't my first love :-) My first love is my son, Gavin.

Rich and I met in April of 2007 but my one and only son and first true love was born March 3, 2004. As young as I was, I remember wanting nothing more than to be a mother. I remember the day I started to feel 'iffy' and decided to take a pregnancy test. I was the happiest I had ever been when I saw the positive results! I called my mom and dad immediately lol. I absolutely LOVED being pregnant (despite the awful all day sickness I tend to get) and still do. He was loved more than any other before I even knew who he was.

I had always wanted a son first and I got my wish. The day he was born was the first day of the rest of my life. He was a GORGEOUS baby and all the nurses told me so. He had beautiful skin and the perfect amount of dark hair. I couldn't wait to take him home :-)

Gavin is such a sweet boy. He is a wonderful big brother and he takes that job very seriously. I am very lucky to have such a good kid. He knows that I love him, but one day I hope he understands what having him as my son means to me.

Remembering That GOD IS IN CONTROL.

This week has been a trying one for us. As some of you already know, Casey had a seizure at school on Thursday. She has never had one before so this was quite a shock. She was just working at her desk, passed out, fell out of her chair on to the floor stiff as a board, and had a seizure. I was called to come get her and then I took her to the ER. Needless to say I was TERRIFIED.


The entire way to the hospital I am crying and praying to God that she be okay. I had no clue what I was going to find out at the hospital and of course I was thinking the worst.


When we got to the hospital I was told that she would undergo several tests including blood, urine, x-ray, EKG and ct scan. They also mentioned that she may need to have a spinal tap. Casey has never had anything like this before and so this was going to be her first experience with needles. She was scared to death and of course that didn't help me to see her like that. She screamed bloody murder when they did the IV and that broke my heart. After they got it in she calmed down and was a big girl the rest of the time.


All of her tests came back normal so as of now it appears that there was no good reason why this happened. The doctors told me that she could have more in the future or that she may never have another again. It was mentioned that if she did have another, she would be treated for epilepsy. I did not like hearing that. The ER doctor wanted her to be seen by a neurologist. We will be getting an appointment with one in Topeka hopefully sooner than later.


So as of now we know nothing. We have no clue what caused the seizure or if she will have another one. It could be months before she sees the neurologist too. It is all very stressful.


But something positive came out of all this. I realized (even though I already knew) that I would not have been able to handle all this if I didn't know God. Despite the situation we were blessed in several ways. The hospital staff were amazing with Casey. They were sweet and gentle with her and took time to explain everything to her so she would understand. Everyone from the admitting nurse to the radiology techs to the doctors showed her love and compassion and as a mother I couldn't have asked for better. Their treatment of her made the whole experience bearable. In addition to that, I was blessed with understanding daycare parents. They were willing to be flexible with my need to take time off to take care of her where some jobs wouldn't be. Not only did they find other care for their children, they offered prayer for her. And last was my family and friends. Casey had so many people praying for her the last few days and that alone is an incredible blessing. I have had numerous calls and texts from friends and family checking on Casey and myself. The love I have felt the last few days is incredible. We are so lucky to have so many people in our lives that personally know God. 


I don't know how people who don't have a personal relationship with God handle difficult situations. God doesn't promise us that we won't suffer but he does promise us that when we do he will be with us. It's like the poem Footprints, "The Lord replied, My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."


God carried me on Thursday and I know he is always with me. I am blessed to know Him and to have Him in control of my life. 

30 Day Challenge: Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

I feel that the title of my blog is pretty self explanatory but I will explain anyway! This blog isn't just stories about the great things in my life, its a place for me to vent my frustrations and share my heartaches. That's the good and the bad. The furry is because we have two cats that aren't just pets, they are members of our family; my furry children :-) The rest of the title speaks for itself!

Azzie

Click here to view this photo book larger

30 Day Challenge: Day 1 (about a week or so late lol)

Day 1: A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts.

As I don't have any recent pictures of myself since I am usually the one taking them, I will just list 15 facts. :-)

1. I love Jesus.
2. I know all the words to the movie Top Gun.
3. My favorite animal is a dolphin.
4. I want to live in Florida one day.
5. I love to read.
6. I love vampires. Vampire books, movies, TV shows, etc.
7. I wish I could sing because I love to.
8. My favorite band of all time is the Dave Matthews Band.
9. I hope to finish cosmetology and esthetics school and have my own salon/spa one day.
10. I am my own worst critic and my own worst enemy.
11. I have the greatest parents in the world.
12. My favorite snacks are peanut M & M's, Wild Cherry Pepsi and Diet Dr. Pepper.
13. I love tattoos and hope to convince my husband that I need more. lol
14. I love cheerleading and being a cheer coach. Fulfilling one of my dreams.
15. I love being a wife and mother more than anything in the world :-)

Hope you learned a little about me!

30 Day Blog Challenge! (Don't count on a consecutive 30 days lol)

I got this from my friend Shauna's blog and figured I would give it a shot! I can't promise that I will do 30 days in a row, but I will do my best.  :-) 

So, here is an insight of what you get to look forward to in the next 30 days, or 40 days, or somewhere before Christmas hopefully! 

Day 0: The 30 Day Challenge Explanation and Description

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3: Your first love

Day 4: Your parents

Day 5: A song to match your mood

Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7: Favorite movies

Day 8: A place you've traveled to

Day 9: A favorite picture of your best friend

Day 10: Something you're afraid of

Day 11: Favorite tv shows

Day 12: Something you don't leave the house without

Day 13: Goals

Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?

Day 15: Bible verse

Day 16: Dream house

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

Day 19: Something you miss

Day 20: Nicknames

Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?

Day 22: What's in your purse?

Day 23: Favorite Movie

Day 24: Something you've learned

Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in

Day 28: Something that stresses you out

Day 29: 3 Wishes

Day 30: a picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started the challenge

Azzie, Friends, New Ideas and Revelations

First I want to say that I am a horrible blogger. I can't seem to blog more than once a month! I am really going to try harder to blog more often so keep checking!

Well as most of you know our little Aslyn is here and yesterday marked her one month birthday! I cannot believe that she has been here a month already. It has gone by WAY TOO FAST and I know it won't slow down. She is a wonderful baby and we all love her so much :-)

Not only is my baby growing too fast but my other baby, Casey, is too. She will be starting school this year and I am not ready to send my little girl to school. She is more than ready though. She is so smart and I know she will love school. It's always hard to send one of your kids to school for the first time because you know that this is the beginning of the end of childhood. I know now that she is in school she will grow up right before my eyes. We are very proud of her and can't wait to see how she does, despite my depression about it lol.

I want to give a special shout out to someone who over the last few months has become my best friend. Shauna is an amazing wife and mother but to me she is the best friend I have right now. There isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't text or call to see how I am doing or to tell me she is praying for me. I feel like I can talk to her about anything and she listens. If I don't hear from her one day I think something is wrong! lol She is the first person in a very long time that I feel like I need to talk to everyday. I know she truly cares for me and that she is thinking of me often. I am so thankful that God brought her into my life. Thank you Shauna for being such a great friend when I need one the most. I love you!

God has taught me something recently that was definitely a lesson I needed to learn. Lately I have been struggling for acceptance from a certain individual. It was to the point where I was going out of my way to make this person like me. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting. I couldn't understand what I could have done to deserve this feeling of rejection. In our Wednesday night ladies Bible study we are discussing idols. I have learned that we can make anything or anyone an idol in our life. I saw that I was making being accepted and loved by a certain person an idol in my life. I was so focused on it that I let it bring me down and tear me up inside. I realized that God brings people in our lives for certain reasons and He can remove them at anytime if His work through them is done in our life. I do not think that this person will be removed from my life. I just think that I must learn to wait on God's timing not my own to bring them back. I have to be patient and not take this absence personally. I did not do anything wrong and I cannot control the actions of others or change Gods plan for me. I have so many other people in my life right now that can help fill that void and they are doing a great job. I am content with that. God has done so many wonderful things in my life and there is no reason for me to doubt His intentions now. Its amazing how easily and quickly this small matter became a huge idol for me. If you are having trouble with anything or anyone coming before God in your life you should read Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller. Its a great book and has done wonders for me so far! Its such a wonderful feeling when you finally realize that its ok to Let Go and Let God :-)

I am so excited because cheerleading has started again and this year is going to be INCREDIBLE! The girls this year are such a blessing. They work so well together and are all so talented. They went to cheer camp at KSU this year and came home with several well deserved awards. We are so proud of them for working so hard! I cannot wait to see them continue to grow over this school year. I am very blessed to be able to work with them :-)

I am excited to announce that I am starting my very own handmade novelty business. I am going to hand make things such as tutus, purses, bow holders, diaper cakes, etc. and sell them! I am going to call it Mommy and Me Couture and I cannot wait to get started! I plan to sell my items at farmers markets, craft fairs, online, etc. I am already working on a website to advertise my items, photography, and cleaning services. I have always wanted to be in business for myself but also work from home and make my own hours. I cannot think of a better way! I will make sure to keep you posted as it develops!

Foveaux No. 5: Aslyn (aka Azzie)

Its been about 3 weeks since my last blog but I have a good excuse; I had a baby! Aslyn Christina Dorene Foveaux was born on Friday, July 8th at 2:07 p.m. She weighed 9 lbs 3 oz and was 20 in long. I have no idea how my baby got that big, after all Gavin and Casey were on the small side of 7 lbs, but it at least explains how big my belly was and how uncomfortable I was the last few weeks! :-)

I was nervous about having a 3rd c-section but it became worse as my surgery time kept getting pushed back. But I have an AMAZING doctor, Dr. Brittani Roles, and she did an amazing job. Surgery went off without a hitch and recovery for this one has been much easier than I remember!

Gavin and Casey did awesome with it all. They were so excited for their little sister arrive and even more excited when she did! They haven't spent too much time with her because the have been visiting Mama and Papa in Missouri, but they ask about her everyday on the phone. I cannot wait to see them with her and watch all 3 of my babies grow together. :-)

 

Rich has been incredible. He is so good with Azzie and she loves her daddy very much. I knew he was a great father but if its possible he is even better than that. He is so gentle and is very eager and willing to help out with her. The last week has been great bonding with her :-)

Aslyn has given me so many blessings just being in my life. She has allowed me to see another loving and amazing side to my husband, she has me in awe of her in general and if its possible, she makes me love Gavin and Casey even more than I already did. I am so blessed with this wonderful family and I know that everything I ever did in my life was meant to lead me here to this exact moment with these exact people. I don't think there is a better way to express the way I feel than this song:

Got a baby girl sleepin' in my bedroom
And her momma laughing in my arms
There's the sound of rain on the rooftop
And the game's about to start
I don't really know how I got here
But I'm so glad that I did
And it's crazy to think that one little thing
Could have changed all of it
Maybe it didn't turn out like I planned
Maybe thats why I'm such, such a lucky man

For every stoplight I didn't make
Every chance I did or I didn't take
All the nights I went too far
All the girls that broke my heart
All the doors that I had to close
All the things I knew but I didn't know
Thank God for all I missed
Cause it led me here to this

Like the girl that I loved in high school
Who said she could do better
Or the college I wanted to go to
Till I got that letter
All the fights and the tears and the heartache
I thought I'd never get through
And the moment I almost gave up
All led me here to you
I didn't understand it way back when
But sittin' here right now
It all makes perfect sense

Every stoplight I didnt make
Every chance I did or I didnt take
All the nights I went too far
All the girls that broke my heart
All the doors that I had to close
All the things I knew but I didn't know
Thank god for all I missed
Cause it led me here to this

Oh I cried when my momma passed away
And now I got an angel
Looking out for me today
So nothing's a mistake

Every stoplight I didn't make
Every chance I did or I didn't take
All the nights I went too far
All the girls that broke my heart
All the doors that I had to close
Everything I knew but I didn't know
Thank God for all I missed
Cause it led me here to this

Led me here to this

I know that things can always change but I know that where I am now is exactly where I am supposed to be :-)

So Many Blessings!

I haven't written in awhile, not because I haven't had anything to write about, but because those things I want to write about have taken up so much of my time! It has been a crazy month for us here in the Foveaux household and we have been blessed by the craziness. This blog is to get you up to date on what the four of us have been up to!

T-ball and baseball have started up and having anywhere from 2 to 4 games a week keeps us busy! Casey plays  t-ball for the Cyclones and she loves it. She also gets to be on the same team as her best buddy Logan :-) That's the part she likes the best I think lol!

Gavin plays coach pitch baseball for the Sooners and is really improving! He normally plays 3rd base and he loves that because his favorite baseball player, Albert Pujols, plays 3rd base sometimes. Their team is currently undefeated and they seem to get better each game. It is so much fun to watch him grow in this sport!

Rich and I were blessed recently with a baby shower thrown for us by some wonderful ladies in our church. It was so nice to know that we are loved by those in our church family. It was a wonderful evening with great friends (new and old) and family. The food was incredible and our little girl got some wonderful and much needed things. We truly are blessed to have such a wonderful church family and wonderful new friends. 

Today we got some pretty amazing news! Rich is now the first and only Diplomate in Sports Chiropractic in the state of Kansas and one of only 150 in the entire world! This is a HUGE accomplishment for him and we couldn't be more proud of him. He has worked so hard for this the last year and it is so good to finally be able to put those initials after his name. He is such a hard working, intelligent man and I am blessed to share my life with him. This is going to be the start of something amazing for him, I can just feel it! Look it up and see what sets him apart from all the rest :-)

Finally, today is the official 2 week mark until my c-section. I am so excited to meet our baby girl! The last nine months have flown by. I cannot believe that in 2 weeks we will be able to hold our little Aslyn (Azzie) in our arms. We are all so excited for this day! I am nervous and a little scared like any mother is but I know that this little girl is already loved like no other. She has a very excited big brother and big sister waiting for her and we know that they are going to be amazing with her. 

We have so many more amazing things heading our way in the next 30 days and I cannot wait to write about them all. Stay tuned!

God is Good

I wasn't sure what I was going to write about this week until Wednesday night at Bible study with my girls :-) First off I have to say that I am so blessed to have such a great group of Christian women to fellowship with. None of us are perfect but we all love God and each other. It is so nice to have other women to share life with and know that there are people praying for me every day. So this post is dedicated to those women.....Shauna, Tina, Val, Beth, and Andrea :-) I love you all very much and thank God for you! So now I am going to share with you what makes each of these women so incredible and such a wonderful part of my life.

Shauna.....Shauna is probably one of the strongest people I know. It doesn't matter what life throws at her; she just keeps on going and attacks them with a force you can only get from knowing God. She has 3 amazing and adorable little boys who are very smart and fun to be around. (One of which is my future son-in-law lol) No matter what is going on in her life at the moment; she always has time for her friends. Whether its a text, call or email to say she's praying for you or just to 'check in', you always know you are important and loved by her. I know when Shauna says she will be praying for you, she truly is. I know there are lots of us who feel blessed to have her as a friend. I hope that in times of worry or difficulties for me that I show the same strength and faith that she does. Thank you for being such a great friend Shauna, I love you and am blessed to know you!

Tina.....Tina in a lot of ways is just like me. We have so many things in common and that in itself is a blessing. Where other friends (or husbands for that matter lol) may think my obsession of vampires and wizards is strange, Tina understands 100%! It is so fun to have someone to share these interests with. But it's not all about magic with Tina. She was my first real friend here in Kansas. Moving here was very hard on me at the beginning not knowing anyone but my husband and kids. I became very depressed and thought I would never make friends. Then I met Tina :-) I remember the day I came home and told Rich how I had met my twin! I was so excited to have met someone that I could share so many things with and Rich was very happy for me. From that point on, I didn't think living here would be so hard. Tina is a wonderful mother to an adorable little girl and a faithful Christian woman. She donates so much of her personal time to the church and helping others achieve Financial Peace through Dave Ramsey's program. That alone has been such a blessing for so many people I know. Tina is also co-owner of Dustbusters Cleaning Services with me and I enjoy the jobs we have together, cleaning and catching up on each others lives. Tina, I truly feel that God brought us together for a reason (after all, God doesn't make mistakes) and I am so happy that He did. I love you!

Val.....Val is so much fun to be around! Her smile just lights up the room :-) She has turned out to be a great addition to our group and now that she is a new mommy, we are all even closer. It is so wonderful to be able to share all our 'mommy' stories with her and hear all the new ones she is making with her little one. She has her own cookie dough company and let me tell you, they are the best homemade cookies I have tasted in a long time! She is a strong woman of Christ and a great friend to us all. Val, I am so glad that we met and you joined our group. You are a wonderful person and I am blessed to be your friend.

Beth.....Beth is awesome! She is a wonderful mother of 3 adorable children and has an amazing sense of humor. I love talking to her about lots of different things. She loves yard sales just as much as I do and that's a lot! Beth works at a dermatologists office and if I do say so myself, has beautiful skin! She is wonderful about answering all of our skin related questions and is very knowledgeable of the subject :-) Beth is an amazing Christian woman and we all enjoy having Bible study with her every week. She is usually one of the first ones to arrive and one of the last to leave. She loves God with all her heart and it shows. I hope that my love for Him shines in me like it does her. Beth, you rock and I am so glad we are friends.

Andrea.....Andrea is a saint! She puts off such a positive energy and her personality and smile can turn anyone's bad mood around. She is a strong and faithful Christian woman; the type of woman I hope to be. She is infectious to be around and anyone who meets her falls in love instantly :-) Andrea fits so well with all of us in our group and we all love her deeply. She is so full of love for God and it shows. She is always willing to help out where needed and does it selflessly. Andrea, you are a role model for me and I am truly blessed to know you.

All of these women have qualities that set them apart from each other but all have one thing in common; they love God with all their heart and strive to be Godly women. They are all wonderful wives and mothers and amazing friends to me. I cannot imagine my life here if I had not met a single one of them. They have all brought something wonderful into my life and I thank God every day for each one of them. I hope that all of you reading this have people like this in your lives. Meeting them has made being so far from home bearable at times. I know they are there for me if I need anything and that is an incredible feeling :-) I love you all so much!

Family Introductions

Since this is my first ever attempt at blogging, I thought I would start out by introducing you to The Foveaux's!

First we have Rich, my husband and the most amazing father (besides my own) in the world. I truly believe he was brought to us by God. He took on an instant family and it didn't take long before the kids and I couldn't imagine our lives without him.

He is the owner of JointFit Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Center here in Manhattan, KS. He created this company on his own and has worked tirelessly the last 2+ years to make it what it is today. I have never met anyone more dedicated to making sure that his patients see real results. He is the smartest man I know and I have never known a doctor to study so hard to make sure that his patients get the best possible care. He practices with a passion and moral fiber that is lacking in so many others and that makes him stand apart in his profession.

He is more than just a great doctor to us; he is our leader. He shows us a love that we didn't know before him. He has brought all of us closer to God and it is because of his faith and leadership that I am the person I am today. I was lost when I met him and no matter how hard I may have fought, he and God never gave up on me. He encouraged me and the kids to get back into church where we developed a strong fellowship with some wonderful people. It's because of him and those people in my life that I came to Christ again in 2007 and our children love Jesus and speak to him daily. He is hardworking, driven, dedicated, caring, funny, smart, faithful, trustworthy, loving, romantic, and our spiritual leader. I don't think a woman could ask for more in a husband and father. We are truly blessed to have this man call us his family. We love him more than words can say.  

Second on the list is my oldest child, my son Gavin. This little boy is the light of my life. He and I have been through so much together and I feel a very special bond to him because of that. He is the most sensitive and loving child I know. When I look at him I see a little boy who has grown so much over the last few years and what a great kid he has become. I love watching him as he grows and what different interests he develops. He loves Star Wars, Top Gun, and animals just like his mommy and baseball, video games, and being outside just like his daddy. His sister is his best friend and he loves her very much. He is amazing at art too! He loves to draw and color and has a real talent for it.

I have watched this little boy grow up into a little man in just a few short years. Gavin made the decision one day to get rid of the bad people and negative things they brought into his life and embrace the new and wonderful things God placed before him. As a mother, knowing what he has been through, it was so amazing to see him make that decision. I feel like we have done a pretty good job of raising such a loving little boy. I cannot wait to see the man he will become.


Third is my youngest (soon to be middle) child, my daughter Casey. Casey is unlike any other! She is outgoing, funny, energetic, and so full of love for everyone. She makes herself the center of all our worlds by demanding the spotlight. She keeps us laughing with her funny songs and dances and maintains an innocence with the questions she asks daily. She loves babies, playing house, making up songs, dances, and cheers, and most of all her daddy. She is a daddy's girl if there ever was one! Her brother is her best friend and her sister to be will undoubtedly be HER baby.


Casey was very young when Rich came into her life and to me that is a huge blessing. She remembers no one else but him and no love but his. In her eyes he is the one and only daddy she has ever had and ever will have. It makes me so happy to see them together and how happy they make each other. She is an amazing little girl and so caring and concerned for others. We are very lucky to have such an incredible daughter.


Next I must introduce the two 'furry' members of our family, our cats Lauren and Lucky. Not everyone sees cats as members of the family like they would dogs, but this family loves our little kitties more than most. They greet us at the door when we come home, they lay with us on the couch while watching TV and they sleep with us at night. They each have very different personalities but are both amazing pets.


Lauren is a mommy's girl. She and I have been together for almost 11 years now. The attention and love she gives me makes everyone else in the house (especially Rich) jealous, but I wouldn't have it any other way! She has been by my side through thick and thin and no other cat will take her place in my heart.


Lucky is the newest addition to our family and he has taken a very large spot in our lives. He is a unique kitty and is always making us laugh. He loves all of us equally and makes sure to spend time with each of us daily. His favorite things are sleeping and eating which is part of the reason he is so fat! We all have grown to love him very much and it didn't take long for him to become a member of the family.

Last is me and baby to be. There isn't much to say about me except that I am a very blessed woman. I have a wonderful and supportive husband, two (almost 3) amazing children, and the greatest parents anyone could ask for. I am lucky to be able to stay home with my kids and run our household. I have been through a lot in my life but it was all a part of God's plan to bring me here. I am happier now than I have ever been and couldn't ask for more. 

Our little girl, Aslyn Christina Doreen Foveaux, will be born on July 8, 2011. We are all very anxious and excited to meet her! She is a very lucky baby to be coming into this world with so many people who already love her so much. I thank God every day for the blessings he has given us. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us next!

That is it for the Foveaux Family introductions. Stay tuned for what's next!