Mama's Day

This is a special Mother's Day for me personally: it is the 3rd year that I am a mom to Noah, the 1st year that I am a mom to Ellyotte and the 1st year that I can celebrate being a mama to my precious babies that I am alive to raise. This past year has been so scary for me at times - healthwise - that I am truly, truly thankful to be present on this earth with my children and my husband this mother's day.

Here is a special video that my family really appreciates this year more than ever before. In November, we lost my precious Aunt Mamie (the redhead in the video next to Mrs. Gloria Grant) and just last week, we all lost another lifelong friend, Mrs. Gloria Grant (Amy Grant's mother) in Nashville. Mamie and Gloria and Jeananne (the gorgeous blonde in the video) were inseparable so these past five months have been tough as we said goodbye to two of the threesome.

About 10 years ago, Oprah did a Mother's Day show and invited Amy's mom, Mrs. Gloria, to be on it. Mrs. Glo took her best friends, Mamie (my aunt) and Mrs. Jeananne to the show with her. They are sitting to Mrs. Glo's left.

As you will see in the video, they didn't know that Oprah had Amy and her sisters surprise Mrs. Gloria. She was truly surprised and the whole group had an incredibly memorable time together during the taping and after as they enjoyed Chicago. Aunt Mamie still drank out of her Oprah mug up until her death in November!

This video is priceless to me and to my family because it allows us to see our Mamie and Gloria the way they truly were on this earth: vibrant, happy, alive. I am so thankful that someone saved this clip and posted it onto youtube.




Kelly and I are blessed to have OUR mom love us the way she does. She's truly selfless and is daily pleading the Blood over her girls, husband, and now son-in-law and grandbabies. She's the glue that holds our family together - she always has been. There are no words to describe my gratitude and eternal love for my Mama, Janice Hawkins. She's God's greatest gift to the Hawkins/Beall family. I love you, Mom.

Easter, etc

What a month. Here are the bullet points:

- Dan got.... PROMOTED TO MAJOR (USAF)!! We are really excited and *interested* to see where God is pointing us towards next... More to come soon.
- Ellyotte hit 9 months. What a precious baby girl. Gah, she melts me. 4 teeth, crawling, sleeping 13 hours straight each night. What a sweet child.
- The kids and I (NO DAN) drove home to Alabama on, noneother, than the prelude to the most intense tornado storm in US history.

On 15 April, we set off for Alabama - despite protests from both of my folks. To sum it up: a normal 7.5 - 8 hour trip took almost 12 hours. We entered Clinton, MS 10 minutes after most of it had been wiped off the face of the earth by a tornado. I20 was shut down and we were detoured through that ravaged town for 2 hours. We then head on towards home (to see my folks). I witnessed firsthand the desparation and devestation in the peoples' faces as they realized they had lost EVERYTHING. Homes, businesses, power, lives.... were gone.

On the way between Jackson, MS and Meridian, MS, I hydroplaned 5 times and we stopped under 5 overpasses as tornados blew behind us and in front of us. The hail was so big that it woke Noah up from his brief nap and threw him into a fit of frightened tears.

We finally make it to Meridian. As we enter the town, I see a funnel cloud in the distance - so I tear into the Chic-Fil-A parking lot, whip Elly's seat out of the car, run towards the LOCKED doors and I hear "Oh my gosh, she's got babies. Let her in." I leave E with them and go back to get Noah. They escorted us into the KITCHEN to wait for the tornado to pass. At this point, I am a wreck and my mom (on the phone) is having a nervous breakdown in Costco back in Bama. My dad tells us to head on out while my mom is begging me to get a room in Meridian (NO CHANCE - a second front was on the way) - I check the doppler on my new iPhone 4 and it looked like we would come right behind the front that was leaving West Alabama and leave before the new front entered Meridian. I put the pedal to the metal and my poor kids were exhausted from driving.

We drove the next 150 miles in heavy rains and got to Demopolis and then Selma and then Montgomery just after tornados touched down in all places. My knuckles were so sore from gripping the steering wheel the next day... And I inhaled several huge glasses of wine that night after kids were put to bed. We had a lot to be thankful for.

- While in Bama, we got to see a lot of friends and took a lot of golf cart rides at my parent's gorgeous home. It was so much fun - there are few places more beautiful than the South in early Spring. The cranes were flying over the water, azaleas were blossoming, just gorgeous. Noah definitely loves getting to go "home" to the Waters - he gets to fish, play with Graddy, feed the horses, drive the golf cart. It is a little boy's paradise.

- We met up with Dan in Nashville, TN for Easter weekend. It was the first time any of us had been back to our second home since my sweet Aunt Mamie went to be with the Lord the night before Thanksgiving. It was bittersweet. We stayed with one of my dearest friends, Amy, and her family and had a blast. We celebrated the Resurrection at Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN - what an incredible service. We adore that church. And what an awesome thing to have JEREMY CAMP sing during the offering!!! Loved it.

After church, we met up at Leigh Ann and Mike's farm in Franklin and had so much fun eating, hunting eggs and enjoying God's gorgeous creation; TN farmland is so beautiful. And the 150 year old barn that is owned by Amy/Vince Gill and my cousins Mike and Leigh Ann is just incredible. It sits on the Natchez Trace and this family has made so many irreplaceable memories there. Weddings, Easters, barbeques, bonfires. Each time we gather there, the memories made only add to the rich history of that old barn.

*Note: the other cute little redhead guy that Noah's hunting eggs with is Olympic ice skater Scott Hamilton's son. I did a double take when I saw Max because he and Noah were so similar; I also did a double take when I realized "Oh, Mike and Leigh Ann's friend is Scott Hamilton... and he's at our Easter Sunday get together!"*

- Dan went onto Knoxville, TN to provide training for a Guard unit and the kids and I drove back to Alabama for a few days before driving the long haul back to Louisiana. We were supposed to leave for Louisiana on Wednesday, 27 April, but we all know what happened to my sweet home State of Alabama that night... This time around, my dad forbid me from driving. I am so glad he did.

We hunkered down in Montgomery, AL for the night and literally had no idea of what was heading our way. No clue. As of this afternoon (Friday), 230 people in Alabama alone have been confirmed killed by the tornados that ripped through Wednesday night. The damage is unimaginable. We have so many friends and friends of friends who lost everything - one girl in particular lost her entire home and every neighbor to her right and her left and across the street. There aren't enough body bags in many of the small towns to keep the victims until emergency relief can take the bodies. They are having to stack the dead in refrigerated trucks. One town lost their grocery store, fire and police stations and only gas station. They also lost over 30 people. Where do you even start to rebuild when you have literally lost everything? My heart is heavy for the loss of life and way of life that Alabama is experiencing right now.

- The kids and I drove back home yesterday - Thursday and are glad to be home. It is always nice to get back into your own bed and your own routine. I am wrapping up Term 4 with Troy University and have lots of papers to grade. Finals week is next week so the deadline lies before me. Feeling the pressure.

Here are some beautiful shots from the past month. I promise to be better about posting now that we are home!
First mac and cheese
First boyfriend: Keegan
First popsicle.....
..... in the bath
Easter Baskets!
Having fun at Uncle Bob's (and Aunt Mamie's) house in Nashville, TN
New cousin, Baby Hank
My gorgeous mom and her new great nephew, Hank
Ellyotte LOVED her first Easter Basket - lots of pacis and yogurt melts
Jan-Jan and Ellyotte making her silly face
Someone loves their Daddy
Fun at the Farm
Happy Girl
"It's EASTER!"
Hangin' with Uncle Bob
My dad and cousin Mark at the barn
Farm time

Riding with "Mee-Ann"
Barn!
Kelly, Elly and Sandy
Kel and Danny
Happy Easter!
Gorgeous
And more beauty

Hunting eggs
Noah and his long, lost twin: Max Hamilton
Mark and Elly
Sweet hugs for Mark
Aunt Kelly and Elly
The Farm
Kristen and Ellyotte comparing pedicures

Getting to know her cousin Stella, born 9 days before Ellyotte
Hunting eggs

Such and Such

Lately, I've been inspired to write so many blog entries. But, entirely too tired to write even one.

Dan's been out of town with work and Noah had Spring Break from Mother's Day Out last week. I've got a maxxed out class this term and I just can't find the time, energy or desire to get off of my too-busy bum and write OR grade. Grrr.

But, I am finding some time to take some precious pictures in our house. These kids may be a handful but they are delicious; don't you think so, too?!

We've had a major blessing occur this week for us: I had my monthly hemotologist appointment today (my regular follow-up since the pulmonary embolism that nearly ended my life last July) and my weekly blood tests done right before the appointment. The great news is that I AM OFF OF COUMADIN (the daily massive amount of blood thinner I was having to take)!!! We are elated.

I will go back to Dr. V next month and again each month till the one year mark (27 July). But, in the meantime, I don't have to take "rat poison" anymore and I am so thankful.

He has referred us to a high risk OB because of the "uterine window" I have (ruptured/scarred/too thin uterus condition - google it; I had to...) from my c-sections and because of my risk of clotting in pregnancy. We want a final opinion before deciding to have any more children. I have been told many times by my doctors that there should be no more Beall Babies but before we take a drastic step, we want that final say-so.

No date set for that appointment yet but as soon as we know more, I will of course let you, my friends, know. We are just thankful that I am still around to even have the discussion of whether to pursue more children! And if Noah and Ellyotte are the only two blessings we are to have, then so be it: we are satisfied beyond measure.

More on the home front: Noah and Ellyotte cannot get enough of each other and while I've been overwhelmed with trying to entertain both of them while keeping E on a sleep schedule and myself sane, I've managed to remember how precious and fleeting our lives on this earth really are. So, I take that extra minute to nuzzle Noah's neck or to tickle my baby girl to hear her laugh or to kiss my husband one last time.

Life never gets too busy for love. Dare we forget that.

Ready for SUMMER! Grillin' with Daddy

Transfixed on "talking pictures." (movies!)

Little Katie?

"Hey, you, dog. I am talking to you."

"Yeah, so? That's popsicle on my face." Pool time in Louisiana! Watching cartoons together "I love you, Ellyotte." Mmmmm, feet. With painted toes. Don't judge: she was watching a movie and eating a cookie so I could get ready for a date!