Team Bedard

Moving to Facebook

2009-04-15T11:39:00.002-04:00

Ok so we are moving most of our blogging, picturing, videoing to Facebook. Of course mos to you have already stopped checking here anyway!! If you are not on Facebook, why not? If you are and are not friends with Mindy or I, just find us and request away! Hey, if my 60 year old uncle can do it, why can't you. Here is a picture of Easter stuff to entice you to come over to the dark side!!

Finally! New Pics...

2009-02-21T13:40:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the long delay, those of you who still check this blog. Parker is rolling over and sitting up (that makes her sound like a puppy doesn't it?) Cade is saying more words, such as puppy, but he still refuses to say them more than once. He knows words, but just won't talk. He babbles all the time. They both like to play together and believe it or not they really do play. Parker thinks anything Cade does is funny, so she is easily entertained!

I have pictures of my new nephew, but I can't find the camera cord to hook up to the computer! When Chris gets home tonight I'll get him to do those pics. In the meantime, here are some of C & P:

Christmas With the Bedards

2008-12-28T18:16:00.002-05:00

We have had a great Christmas!! We started by visiting Mindy's side of the family for a few days. We had a party with Chris' Dad. Then a few days with Chris' Mom and family. It has been fun times. Parker is growing like a weed and is close to turning over. Cade has been talking more and more and is on the brink of full sentences (we hope). One of the highlights of the trip was everyday Cade would wake up from a nap and immediately point outside at all the cows in the pasture. He loves cows. We took a drive out to see them a couple of days ago. There was a new calf. Within minutes of being out there, we were surrounded by cows. Cade loved it. He was pointing and mooing and laughing away. It was hilaroius. We can't wait to see what happens in '09.

New Website

2008-12-18T16:40:00.002-05:00

Hey there everyone. We have a new website. Mindy will still be writing on this blog but we wanted to have a way to share more pictures, videos, etc. We just started the site so it is still a work in progress. The site now has a video of Cade (from yesterday 12/17) and our family newsletter. Just go to this site and have fun!
http://web.me.com/twobedards2

18 Months With the Cade Man!!

2008-11-19T16:40:00.011-05:00

Cade is 18 months today. We are so blessed have little man in our lives. Here are some pics over the past few months. Also, I wanted to tell a quick story. Last night I came home from the MFI clinic and was able to put Cade to bed. I love that time of night because we all read and pray then Cade goes down for the night. I usually hold him just a little bit before I put him down and let him know how much we love him and everything. Anyway, last night just as I was going to put him down, I asked "Cade, do you love daddy?" Usually this is met with a blank stare and a grunt. This time he looked at me and shook his head yes. It was awesome. Enjoy the pics!! We love you all!!

What a beautiful face!!

What's he doing in there?

Love the belly shot

He loves his sister!!

Team Bedard's most recent family pic!

Happy Hair!

2008-11-05T18:42:00.002-05:00

Today Cade decided to rub his lunch all in his hair. This was the result of me trying to clean him up! We had a lot of fun today!
p.s. there are not many pictures of Parker because she's not as exciting as he is right now! I'll try to capture something with her in it soon!

Future Apple Compuer CEO!

2008-11-05T18:25:00.004-05:00

He was sitting on the computer until he saw me with the camera! I also like how he is carrying the mouse around his neck!

Even More pics...

2008-11-05T11:55:00.005-05:00

I finally have 5 minutes to upload pictures!! This was Halloween. We went to Megan Jeter's house. I don't have a picture of her, but Preston Watkins was over. Here he is w/ Cade. Parker was sick, so she stayed warm next to Chris. The kids were soccer players and we were the soccer mom and dad! I didn't have to buy anything to make the costumes! My cousin gave us Cade's soccer uniform from England. At one point it was so hot, so I took his shirt off and he ran around the front yard just like the real players do w/out shirts! It was so cute with his big diaper sticking out the top!!

More Pics For Your Entertainment!

2008-11-05T11:35:00.004-05:00

All of these were taken during Homecoming weekend. Uncle Tony held Cade at the football game while he ate an icecream sandwich!!

"Hello, Change"...he said as he watched Barack's speech and took in the moment.

2008-11-05T09:24:00.003-05:00

THIS IS A POST I (Chris B) JUST UPLOADED TO MY FACEBOOK AND MY BLOG (b-chris.blogspot.com). I AM GETTING BACK TO BLOGGING THERE WHEN I GET THE CHANCE.

I have only voted in 6 presidential elections. The first was in 1992 and the latest was yesterday at 4 pm. Mindy and I took Cade and Parker, strolled up to the polling place, and cast our votes for Barack Obama. We live in Texas. We used to live in Virginia. We were party of the minority of voters that cast ballots for Obama in Texas but would have been one of the majority that, for the first time in 44 years, voted for a Democrat for president. There were so many things about this election that are different than the first one I voted in.

I guess you could say I have liked Barack from the start. I know that in the state and town I live in now, that is not the most popular thing to say. I know there were a lot of skeptical people (and still are) who say and said he was a communist, socialist, closet Islamic radical, non-Christian, etc. There was so much smear from the far right fundamental Republican side. There was so much fear spread from that area. Yet, through out the campaign the person that stayed steady and rock solid was our President-Elect. Even last night he was in command and was poised to take on a role that is not going to be easy nor 'fun'. He can not please so many people but that is one of the reasons I like him so much. He is not trying to please people, he is trying to lead a nation into a new time. This is the first President elected that is of a new generation. He is the first 'postmodern' President. He ran on a platform of change. His platform was so powerful and effective, his competitor tried using that word change in his speeches and stumps and without much success.

So now what? I noticed today that the sun came up. I also saw that the world is still spinning and the wind blows. My kids were still sleeping safely in their beds as I left the house. Mindy was just waking to drink coffee. I got to school and began reading for the day. The stock market is just cranking up. Trucks are traveling and trains, planes, and people are going about their day. Nothing has changed really, but everything has changed. I am in awe by the events of the past months and it hit me last night as I watched and listened to both speeches. Sen. McCain was gracious and humble and just like I thought he would be. I have tremendous respect for him and I believe I even like him more now. Barack was clear and direct and a breath of fresh air. He is the first African-American voted to our nation's highest office EVER in our history. I am awed by that. I am proud of his being elected. I know some of you have trouble with that and will continue to have trouble. Some of you will never like him and I want to give you permission to NOT like him. But don't be fooled. Times have and are continuing to change. Change is not just coming anymore, it is here.

Election Night Party Down!

2008-11-04T23:54:00.004-05:00

My sister and I had our own Election Party. We just really wanted to eat pizza and cupcakes, so this was our excuse!!! Here are some fun pictures from our party. Enjoy!

Better day & Tony B: Your Weird!

2008-10-22T16:18:00.006-04:00

Just in case you were worried, today has been a better day at our house. Our sweet friend, Megan Jeter, helped me get the kids out and we went to Target for a little Halloween shopping. I love all holidays that give out free candy, but Halloween is my favorite. I think this holiday has the BEST candy! Anyway, thanks for all of your comments on my "Confession" blog. Jana and Erin called me almost immediatly after I posted that yesterday! They were both worried about me! Not to worry though. I just wanted to share how I was feeling publicly.

Tony Bedard, your comment cracked me up, but also scares me a little after hearing what you did this past weekend to Patrick! ha ha ha! I won't divulge any more, so we can keep that image in the family! I'm so thrilled that Cacde will grow up with you in his life, but I'm also kind of frightened!!!!!! The first time (and hopefully the only time) he goes streaking across campus with his friends you will be getting a phone call!!!! Remember, you've already taught him how to beat himself in the head with a plastic bottle! He LOVES his Uncle Tony! (And please keep your clothes on at my house this weekend... at ALL times!)

ACU Homecoming is this weekend. Go Cats! Love to all.

Isn't this where you keep your football?

2008-10-21T16:49:00.003-04:00

Confession

2008-10-21T14:42:00.013-04:00

I try to catch up on reading my friends blogs as much as I can (when I get the chance), and lately it seems like when I read some of them I get the feeling that everyone is in Happy Land and they are perfect and their kids are perfect and nothing goes wrong during the day. I'm sure my own blogging has given out that impression too. Now don't get me wrong, everyone wants to share the good times and the cute pictures of the kids and all the happy moments. No one wants to stop and take a picture during the tantrums, right? (BTW, the picture you see of Cade crying was taken a week ago by my sister! I don't remember why he's crying, and I'm not sure why there's a picture of it, but man, isn't he mad!)

Well, let me confess something right now... we are not in Happy Land here at the Bedard house! Cade is asleep and that is why I'm able to write this, but before he went to sleep it was WWIII at our house. I've already said, "Cade, don't poke your sister (in the soft spot/eye). Cade don't shake your sister while she's in her bouncy chair. Cade, don't smack your sister in the head. Cade don't drop that truck on your sister" more than I ever thought I would at this point!!!!! Today he has had 4 time-outs, the 4th one finally got his attention! This happens in between the tantrums for no reason, or the fits of rage because teeth are coming in (he usually gets 2 at a time or more) or because he isn't getting his way at that moment. I'm pretty sure we've hit the "strong willed" 2's already. He thinks throwing his food is a good way to tell me he's finished eating. I'm trying to teach him some sign language so he can communicate with me, but that is not going well. He just stares at me like I'm an idiot. I know most of this will resolve itself when he is able to talk more. I know sometimes he's just frustrated because he's trying to tell me something and I'm not getting it. I know when Parker is able to play with him some of this will get better and then some new problems will arise. (Please, no advice! I know, I know!!!) All I'm saying is, it's just one of those days today and I want to tell everyone about it instead of keeping up the "I'm so perfect and my family is perfect" wall.

Let's be honest, ladies, the day-to-day with the little ones can sometimes get to us, and to add to that, sometimes our husbands can get on our nerves too. It's been one of those days in the marriage department as well. I don't get mad at many things, but today I've been so mad about something that happened yesterday that I can't hardly speak. Now, I know, I know, please don't lecture me or judge me. I know we are not supposed to let the sun go down on our anger. Well, we did, and it will all be okay. We plan on taking our 2 mile walk around ACU and discussing what happened. Keep in mind that Chris is going to be a marriage and family therapist, so we will be talking ALL about our feelings and this and that, so on and so on!!! Don't worry about us. I'm just trying to make the point that today I've almost reached my breaking point with the stress level and I think we, as moms and wives, need to confess that to each other. Again, I don't need any advice on this... I have a great group of women I call on when I need support. My friend, Jana, who is also busy wife and mom (and also lives close enough to visit when we both need to get out of the house and vent to each other), Erin, in Virginia, always gets an ear FULL of venting when (and if) we get the chance to talk, and the 2 that go without saying (but will say anyway) my mom and sister. There are more who get to hear my venting, but these 4 get it more than most!! Sorry y'all, but thanks for listening!

Yes, you will still see cute pictures of the kids on this blog, but for today I just wanted to confess that not everything is so cute! I am not the perfect wife/mom, my kids are not perfect, and my marriage is not perfect. Why can't we publicly talk about that sometimes? I'd like to be real about that every once-in-a-while, so PLEASE don't think I'm complaining. My kids and my marriage are Heaven sent. I count my blessings every day, and sometimes every minute (seriously). I remember what it's like to not have either in my life, and believe me, my life is better off with them.

There's more on my mind, but that's all I have time for now. Keep it real, ladies...

and a shout out to all you wives and moms who have these kinds of days too! If you don't have these days, well, your probably from another planet and I don't want to be your friend! ha ha!

luv, mindy

Parker Pics

2008-10-15T15:28:00.003-04:00

Parker is doing well. She is still sleeping through the night and smiles all the time when she's awake! Her eyes get real big when she hears Cade. It's very cute! Not much to say about her, other than she's adorable and we love her! Enjoy the pictures. The one with the black hat makes her look like a ban k robber! It has a face of a kitty cat on it, but you can't see it from the picture. The two little girls you may not recognize are my nieces, Madison (6) and Sidney (almost 2). They came to Grapevine for my dad's birthday last weekend. We had a blast and stayed up way to late every night! Cade LOVES Madison, and the girls could not get enough of holding and feeding Parker. They were so sweet with her, and it was so much fun to see all the cousins together. We all thought Parker looked so much like them they could all be sisters!

No Longer A Baby!

2008-10-15T15:18:00.003-04:00

He's all little boy now! He's into dirt, throwing the football, rocks, sometimes touching his sister's face with his foot and, yes, this is true, he giggles when he toots! I love this age!

Been A Little Busy!

2008-10-06T10:43:00.002-04:00

So, as you can imagine, we've all been a little busy! This blog will have to be very short, but I just wanted to tell you all how we are doing.

Cade is walking EVERYWHERE! It's been a huge help to us too. He walks himself to the car and we can get everyone into the car and go somewhere easier now. His ankles aren't looking as fat too b/c he's getting more exercise!!!!! He STILL gets mad in the car, but if it wasn't for Elmo videos we wouldn't go any where. (Thank you to the Gulick's for the DVD player! I am forever in your debt! And thank you to MiMi for all the Elmo videos!) Those videos are the only thing that keep him from crying and carrying on, however, Parker is starting to cry in the car now! Yup! It's true! I don't know what it is about my kids and this car seat, but I have another car seat I'm going to try out to see if it works better for her.

Speaking of Parker, she is five weeks old! It really does go by so fast! She smiles and tries so hard to coo and "talk" a little. She looks so much like me (mostly like my niece, Sidney) it's weird to look at myself! She sleeps thru the night, believe it or not! Normally, she has her last bottle at midnight and then she'll sleep until 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. It's great! We were going to have pictures made of her last week, but she got the baby acne, so we are waiting until those go away.

As far as Chris and me. Same 'ol, same 'ol! Chris still loves school and tells me everything he is learning even though I don't understand some of the big words he uses now! I drink a lot of caffeine, but still stay tired some how!!!!

Need to run for now, she is crying.

love to all who still read this!!!!

We Are Good!!

2008-09-04T09:18:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to post something today and let everyone know we are doing well. My mother-in-law is here this week and she has been a huge help!! (Thanks MiMi) I will post more pics sometime this weekend. We are still getting adjusted to having Parker home with Cade but its going well. Cade just looks at her and smiles. He does this cool thing I wanted to share. Whenever we ask for a kiss or hug, he just leans his head into us. It is really sweet and cute. Well we have asked him to kiss or hug Parker several times and most of the time he does it. Well yesterday I had Parker laying beside me starting to wake up so I could feed her. Cade comes over and looks at her, smiles then leans his head in!! It was really cool and something I will never forget. Actually he has done that a few times. He is still trying to figure out who this new person is but he's getting there.

Mindy is a rock star as usual. She has been such a trooper and I am amazed at how fast she snaps back from being pregnant for so many months out of the past 2 years. And last night MiMi and Missy watched the kids so Mindy and I could get out of the house. We drove around then ended up at Nelson park to watch softball, breath and talk. It was awesome....almost like college, except we are married now and have 2 kids and a mortgage and school loans (wait that part is the same).

Parker Noel Bedard

2008-08-29T18:30:00.005-04:00

Well she is here. For those of you who haven't seen pics or know the specifics...
She was born at 7:44 am, weighs 7 lbs 3 oz and was 18.75 inches long. She is beautiful like her mom!! Mindy is doing great and has been resting comfortably all day. Our family was here and that was awesome!! Here is a link to an album I have publised with some pics if you would like to see them: http://gallery.me.com/twobedards2#100016

The adventure continues!!

3 Becomes 4

2008-08-29T01:07:00.002-04:00

I wanted to write tonight or today about a couple things. My mind is racing today and I am so overwhelmed with emotions and excitement it is hard to think straight so this may wander a bit. My classes are going great and I am already learning a lot. Today, though, I found myself wandering in and out of the discussion we were having. Naturally I was thinking about things more important than General Systems theory. I just wanted to brag about someone that I think has become my hero, my wife. Mindy has been a trooper over the past 2 years. She has been pregnant for the past 18 out 24 months. That is a long time!! The past 2 months have been especially hard on her and she has weathered through like a champ!! I have been falling in love with Mindy for a long time now but the past few years have brought us to a deeper level of love and admiration and friendship and devotion. She is amazing to me and I wish everyone could see her as she interacts with Cade and talks to Parker and loves me and supports me and my craziness. I was telling someone today that one of the things that initially attracted me to her (besides her hotness) was her ability to see through my crap and tell me I was full of it. She has never judged me, only loved me for who I am warts and all. And believe me I got a lot of warts. I can not imagine my life without her.

As you can tell, my emotions are bubbling today. Our lives are changing for the better. Yes stress levels will rise and we will be living through things we were just living through a year ago, but we will be doing it as a family. Or as I like to say, we are Team. I love that concept. As we sat there waiting for Cade to be born, we just looked at each other knowing things were changing now. All I could think about was that we would have to work hard together to make things happen. We would have to encourage each other and support each other and keep each other accountable. We would have to function as a unit or Team. So we have become and are becoming. We are going from 3 to 4 in 8 short hours. Our Team is expanding and I can't wait for it to be here.

Cade Is Walking

2008-08-27T22:45:00.003-04:00

Well, it took a bit of time but little man is even more mobile!! He is a little shaky still but he took his first true steps tonight!! The great part is there were several people here to see him. You might recognize some of our Fairfax friends in the video. Enjoy the video. Sorry its short but I just wanted to get something up tonight!!

2 Days To Go! Long post ahead...

2008-08-26T22:48:00.005-04:00

So, everyone wants an update on how we're doing. Here it is!

Chris- overwhelmed and overloaded with reading and new vocabulary to learn, BUT loving every minute of it!Every student has to work in the MFI clinic each week which means they have to dress appropriately for clients coming in to the office. I have enjoyed this because he has to dress up more than he ever did during youth ministry! He is really looking sharp this week!

Mindy- never been more uncomfortable in my life and not loving every minute of it! No, she hasn't dropped or turned, but it doesn't matter with a c-section. I have no idea if I've dilated, or how much, b/c it doesn't matter with a c-section, so the Dr hasn't even checked. I just know that I'm uncomfortable when I'm walking, standing, sitting and laying down! I'm sore from head to toe. I could go on complaining, but it really won't help anything! I feel sorry for the women who deliver after their due date. This c-section is already 5 days early and I'm counting every hour that goes by. Need I say more? 2 more days, 2 more days...

Cade- having a rough week. He has 4 teeth coming in at once, and they aren't small teeth. This time the teething is giving him major stomach problems. It started Sunday night when he didn't want to eat dinner and he had 4 (or was it 5, I lost count) stinky diapers in a row. We were trying to watch the closing ceremonies, but kept running to his room to change him. It's been so bad that this morning he had poop coming out of his diaper and all down his leg, and all over his sheets. Between the 2 of us, Chris and I have changed 6 poopy diapers since that one this morning. He is also trying to walk. Every day gets better and better, but this is such a slow process for him. He is almost too cautious. He takes 2 very small steps and then falls. We're waiting on that 3rd step before we video tape him. If he sees the camera he won't do anything. He's too fascinated with the camera and wants to push all the buttons! Lastly, his little sister will be entering HIS world on Friday. I know he doesn't understand this yet, but I believe he knows there is something new going on. He spends time with me in her room, and plays with her dolls. He mainly just throws them around the room! This next week will be interesting to see how he reacts to her being around 24/7. Pray for our little man! He's got more going on than the rest of us, and he's just so darn sweet about it! I don't know how I got such a sweet child. Quick example: I was getting some wet clothes out of the washer and, by accident, I dropped some of them on the floor right in front of the dryer. Being as big as I am it's so hard for me to bend over, but my little man came to my rescue! I didn't even have to ask him, he crawled up to the dryer and threw the clothes right in perfectly! I was so proud of my little helper! He just thought it was a game and giggled at his accomplishment, but I'd like to think he saw my frustrated face and came to my rescue! He is truly so sweet!

Parker- I'm pretty sure she already knows how to crawl! She moves ALL the time. I did not experience this with Cade. He was swimming in all the extra fluid I had(which some believe was caused by the IVF, but we'll never know). I felt him move, of course, but not like this little gymnast! This is good news to the Dr, but it gets annoying when it's happening to you! Today she was laying in a weird position which made my right leg and my left arm and hand numb for hours. Right now she is moving up and down, up and down. I can see what I think is her head moving up and down and pushing all over my insides! She gets the hiccups a lot too, but not as much as Cade did. Hers are different. They aren't as violent as his where, but they happen more often and last longer. Other than that, heartbeat is fine, measurements are fine. The Dr thinks she will weigh more than Cade, but that's a no brainer b/c he came 3 weeks early and didn't have those last days to fatten up! She is plenty fat! My guess weight is 7.8; my mom says 7.2, and Chris says 7.5 We'll know in 2 days!

That's it for our family update. All of our parents come in Thursday night for the exciting festivities happening at 7:30 am the next morning. I won't blog any more until she's here, so check back for pictures of her this coming weekend. Coming soon!
Love to all,
mindy

Back To School!!

2008-08-24T21:59:00.003-04:00

For everyone not keeping up with our life we are about to have 2 pretty significant things happen to us this week. The first one is tomorrow. I (Chris) am going back to school. I did not think I would ever say that again 8 1/2 years ago but tonight as I type this, I am so very excited. I can't wait actually. I know that may sound weird but I have been looking forward to this day since early March. I know it will be different and it will take some time to get used to it, but I look forward to the challenge. As a family, we are ready to take on a new kind of being busy (after 7 plus years of full time ministry). It will be a 2 year crazy journey, but it will be one we do together as a family.

And speaking of family, the second big event this week happens on Friday. Our little girl, Parker, comes into the world around 7:30 am Friday morning. And as excited as I am about starting school, it pales in comparison to the birth of our second child. But more on this later this week.

2008-08-22T21:37:00.002-04:00

Me and Jana @ church last Sunday. We have our ACU Wildcat spirit going! Jana was one of my roomies during my incarceration (ha ha) at ACU! Her husband, Brandon, (one of Chris' former roomies) is teaching in the Graphic Design Dept at ACU. We are so happy to hang out with them again, and especially their kids! It's so fun to watch your friends as parents. We all grow up too fast!

We tried to get Cade and Jana's little girl together for a photo shoot for the ACU magazine, ACU Today. As you can see... Cade is afraid of girls! He loves Jana's little boy who is 4. He follows him around and tries to imitate him, but Skylar is a different story! For some reason EVERY time we got her near him he would FREAK out! I just kept telling him to get used to little girls, Buddy! There's one coming to our house very soon!!!

One week to go!

2008-08-22T21:28:00.003-04:00

I didn't want to publish pictures of me, but many of you have asked! Don't laugh! I'm very sensitive and emotional right now!!!!!

Little Man

2008-08-13T17:25:00.002-04:00

We took this picture a few days ago. It is one of the rare times Cade was actually asleep in the car. As you can see, he was really asleep!! It is hard to believe that he is getting so big. And even harder to believe he will soon be a big brother. We are very excited about that!! Lately Cade has been attempting to stand on his own. He does it more and more so we are hopeful he will start walking soon.

Who likes change?

2008-08-07T22:46:00.003-04:00

And I'm not talking quarters, dimes or nickles! I have come to love change. In fact, I might be addicted. My friend, Erin, makes fun of me b/c I'm always getting a new haircut. I say, WHO CARES, it's just hair. It will grow back, right? You've heard the phrase "Change or die"? I'm not sure about the die part, but change can certainly liven up your life. Keep you on your toes. We have had so much change in our lives since 2008 began that I can't imagine another life. I can't imagine staying in one place and doing the same routine over and over for the rest of my life. Some people love that kind of life, but I have to say... I'm not one of you!
I just think life is too short to do the same ole thing over and over again. There are some people who are inspiring with their change in life: First, Chris' brother, Tony, has moved to Colorado for a year to work and live just because he can right now. I think getting a new perspective in another city or state is an awesome way to grow and learn more about yourself. Don't get me wrong, it is a challenge. I should know from previous experience, but SO worth it. When we first moved to VA I didn't want to drive on Highway 66 b/c of all the crazy traffic. I was so scared! Chris drove me almost every where for a few months! Then, I realized i had to do it on my own eventually. I also remembered the words of my Mom when we moved to Dallas (from Memphis, TN) when I was in high school, "If we keep driving and start seeing signs that we are leaving Texas then we are lost! Otherwise, we're not lost we'll just keep driving until we find our destination"! Believe it or not, that came in handy. We drove around so much discovering new places that when I was finally able to drive around Dallas/Ft Worth with friends I knew exactly where were going and didn't need a map! And I always found my way home. It was her attitude towards the change of scenery that I learned about during that time.

Other people who have inspired me- military families. WOW! They move a lot!! Besides all the packing and unpacking they have to learn new streets, new places to discover, new churches, new kinds of food specific to the area of the world they are living. The list goes on and on! I came to appreciate this way of life living so close to D.C. The spouses and children deserve medals to wear on their shoulders as well. The government might tell them where to live, but it's mom and dad who teach the kids about changing and growing to make life interesting.

So, from changing your hairstyle or moving to a new state I hope you have been inspired by this blog to get out of the same 'ol routine and do something new. Go crazy!

35 years...

2008-08-07T00:15:00.004-04:00

Today (August 6) is my birthday (this is Mindy btw). I want to say thank you to all who sent cards and emails and phone calls. It really made my day. I've been having contractions and feeling blah since this past weekend. Nothing to worry about. It's just annoying. So, today was so special to get all the greetings. It truly did make my day special. Thank you!

I must brag on 2 very special people who really made this day wonderful. Chris and my sister, Missy. First, b/c I wasn't feeling up to mom duties today Chris did EVERYTHING around the house. He's done laundry, dishes, and all the household chores. He's also done EVERYTHING for Cade. He gets him up in the morning, gets him dressed, feeds him every meal, bathes him at night and puts him to bed. Besides playing with him, helping him to learn how to walk and talk, reading him books and so on and so on! Chris is seriously a great husband and father. I must embarrass him right now and tell all of you how awesome he is. I am really going to hate it when he starts school! I am spoiled rotten right now!!!
Missy was going to babysit for us so we could go to dinner, but since I wasn't feeling up to it she came over for dinner and ate with us. AND... she brought over a homemade Paula Dean 6 layer cake!!!!! Oh my goodness! It is yummy! She also played and played with Cade. He enjoyed that so much! He was "dancing" with her while they palyed on one of his musical toys. It was so adorable. I hate that I didn't get that on video for all of you to see; we'll have to have a reinactment. Missy also tried to get Cade back to sleep after we put him to bed and an hour later he woke up crying. He's still having trouble with that, but we think it's just one of those developmental phases again (we've been working hard on trying to get him to walk before P arrives). She was unable to get him back to sleep, but we appreciate her trying after we were exhausted from trying everything we know. Thanks Miss!
Today was a great day! Thank you to all who made this day wonderful and special for me! You guys ROCK!
Love to everyone! I'll keep you posted on any Parker news...
Mindy

Final Countdown

2008-08-05T01:02:00.002-04:00

Well we are about 3 and half weeks from Parker's arrival. I am very excited but not nearly as excited as Mindy!!! (understatement of the year) We are putting the finishing touches on Parker's room this week. Also, we are getting a bag ready to head the hospital just in case she decides to pull a Cade and come early. Right now she is scheduled to arrive sometime the morning of August 29th. We actually have some ultra-sound pics from a couple of weeks ago but it is hard to tell from the scanned version what you are looking at so I didn't put them up. But believe me she is there and she is very active. We can only hope she looks like her mother!!!

This past weekend we went to church with my sister and her husband in Keller. I had been before but it was Mindy's first time. We put Cade in the nursery and he did pretty well. It was a great service and was the first time that Mindy and I were able to worship together without having to be in charge of something in some time. It was very nice. Most of the songs were unfamiliar but easy to pick up. We really enjoyed he worship time (I think Mindy enjoyed it most). It go me to thinking. I know, I know I won't go to deep here. I know I have another blog for that. But I guess I just was sitting there thinking of several things as we sang and prayed and listened. I have not thought much about what type of church I would like for our family to be a part of until recently. I know that sounds weird but its true. I know that Mindy has spent several weeks thinking about it and we have talked about it but I didn't really think much about it until the past couple of days. Even as we drove from Grapevine to Abilene this afternoon we discussed the need to find somewhere here that we feel comfortable and somewhere we can feel safe taking our kids. We had grand plans to visit several places and look around a lot but I am not sure that will happen in the end. I am not sure we have that kind of time or want to put that kind of time into it. Still don't know where we will end up but we will end up somewhere. This may sound very strange to some of you that have always gone to church the same place or have either grown up going the same kind of church all your life. But I haven't and up until recently we went to the place I was employed (which is not necessarily a bad thing). I guess what I am saying is we have more of a choice now and that is good sometimes. Lastly, I found myself seeing the importance of church as a PART of our children's development. But you can read more about that at b-chris.blogspot.com if you would like. I will be blogging about it tomorrow.

I will be putting up some pics and video from our summer travels in the next few days. Have a great week!!

Chris Here

2008-07-30T17:05:00.003-04:00

Well after Mindy's last post, I wanted to put something up too. We have spent so much time blogging about Cade-man we have forgotten to blog about ourselves. So I am going to put somethings up in the blogosphere here for everyone to read.

First, it has been a pretty weird, hard, exciting, tiring, and sometimes boring summer. This is the first summer in over 14 years that I have not been busy doing something inside a ministry context. It has been great to be with my family and see Cade grow and change daily and I have loved being able to hang out with Mindy. So much of our lives have revolved around my job or my aspirations (and being in Abilene continues this tradition) this summer different in that I have really done NO ministry: i.e. mission trips, camps, retreats, lock ins, VBS, devos, etc. To be blunt, I really miss it very much. I never knew how much I loved working with teens and families until taking time away from it. I guess the old saying, 'you don't know what you've got until its gone' applies here. Needless to say it has been quite an adjustment coming here this summer. We have been burning the candle at both ends for so long, it has been hard to downshift but we believe it has been very much needed. To use a phrase from Mindy, we needed some healing time together. Some time away from Ministry--which may be hard for some of you to hear and understand.

Second, I am very excited to begin the Marriage and Therapy program at ACU. I am very excited to learn more about helping families be what God created them to be. I know it will be hard and I am sure i will struggle with the new lifestyle but I believe this will be a great tool in my ministry career. I have become even more passionate about families, marriages, etc over the past few years and believe this program is a great place for me to be.

Third, I can not wait to see Parker's face and hold her in my arms and continue to road of fatherhood. Though we were a bit taken a back when we found out Mindy was pregnant, we are very very very excited her arrival. We seem to be more excited every day. We are excited for Cade to have a sister and for them to be so close in age. I am so happy about our family becoming 4. We have this idea and this outlook about family that really started the day that Cade was born. We believe our family is a team. We work together for each other and with each other. We want to support each other, cry with each other, laugh with each other and build each other up.

Lastly, we are very much looking to get involved in a church here. It has been hard to do until now because we have been traveling so much. But we are hoping that will change over the coming weeks. We miss that 'family'. We miss our Fairfax family very much and will never forget our life there and the way that God brought each person into our lives. We were honored to be part of their lives.
We are excited about the next 2 years and cant wait to share it with everyone. Thanks for all your love and support.

Mindy here...

2008-07-28T10:31:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! I haven't blogged in a while, so thought I'd give a shot. Chris was right, summer colds are the worst! I'm STILL fighting it. My head has been so stopped up I have been too embarressed to talk on the phone to friends/family. I tried talking to my older brother on the phone the other day and I ended up chocking on mucus and had to run to the bathroom while coughing and gagging! We came back to DFW to get some things we need for Parker, but I haven't been able to leave the house until this past weekend. We did finally find a good deal on a bed and double stroller. I'm especially excited about the stroller. The seats can turn so the kids can face each other. I think that will be a cute picture some day! We have bought some of the basics like diapers and night gowns for her; some clothes and cute bows of course! It's hard getting into "Girlie" mode. There are tights to buy and bloomers with ruffles on them! Girls are really high matinence from the beginning! She has some clothes already from friends and family (thank you ALL!). My sister-in-law (brother's wife) gave Parker a ton of cute clothes that my nieces have grown out of; mom and I have discovered a really great second hand baby store in the area. We decided to go yesterday to check it out, but it was so HOT we both got tired fast. Today we heard on the news that it was 105 yesterday! No wonder we were tired! We decided to go shopping on the hottest day of the summer! So, then we decided to go back in the fall! Needless to say, she will probably want for nothing, but the mommy guilt has already sunk in! We were blessed with many supporters when Cade was born that being in A-town without our cheering crowd and encouragement crew is difficult for me to comprehend. I will miss all the happy faces of the teens that came to see us in the hospital, and all the visitors to the house. I will never forget what our FXCC family did for us. Thank you all! The ACU FXCC students have told me they will come visit Parker when they get a chance, so I know we'll have great memories and pictures to share. I'm hoping Lisa Bosley will still be in town! She was the 1st one at the hospital to see Cade! We'll see!
Chris comes back from Colorado tomorrow and we are driving back to A-town, as he calls it, for my next OB appointment. We will be staying in A-town for the remainder of the pregnancy to get ready for her arrival and the beginning of the first semester of grad school. Chris is really excited about school. He's got his office all set up at home and he was able to buy a new computer through his student discount that Apple has. I get his old one, so we don't have to share! You'll be hearing more from me when I get it set up.
I think that's all I have for now. This has been the busiest/craziest summer I've had in a long time. Can't say the same for Chris, but for me it's been busy! Now we need to get back to A-town and find a church home. We are really missing all the church stuff, but we haven't been in town long enough to go any where. We went to Highland once and then we left for a month! August will be dedicated to a prayerful decision on where to make our church home for the next 2 years.
More to come if I ever get the chance!
Love to all!
m

Having A Summer Cold Stinks

2008-07-22T16:11:00.003-04:00

Well all three of us have colds. Cade and I are getting better but poor Mindy is suffering through. I hate having a cold in the summer. Cade actually had to be on antibiotics this week. But in other news, Cade has been able to stand on his own for brief periods of time. It is cool to watch. We try not cause too much commotion over it because he just sits down if we make a fuss. Then last night he was eating a cookie when MiMi (Mindy's mom) told him he was eating a cookie. Then she held one up and said, 'Say cookie Cade, say cookie'. Mindy and I have done this for forever with no effect but he looked at MiMi and said 'Caca' which we can either mean he knows what the spanish word for crap is or he is trying to say cookie. He did it twice. He can now say cat, duck, caca, and a few other things. Man they grow up fast.

Just a little over 5 weeks away from Parker's arrival!!!

Corn

2008-07-15T16:56:00.002-04:00

We recently found out Cade loves corn on the cob. He takes it and pretty much gnaws on it 'till it's gone. It is pretty funny to watch. I took this picture about half way through one cob.

In other news, we are in Abilene for a couple of days before heading back to the DFW area for my brother's going away party. He is moving to Colorado Springs. I will be driving up with him and helping him move into his apartment. Mindy is doing well. Parker is kicking away in there and making it hard to sleep at this point. Cade man is still crawling around but is now starting to walk beside you if you hold his hand. We will have a video of our summer travels up in a few weeks. Hope everyone is having a great week!!

She Has A Name!!

2008-07-13T17:17:00.002-04:00

Well after literally months of debate, baby name books, input, long discussions and trying to choose a name for our new baby girl, we have a name. And it is a name that Mindy and I actually agree on. So here it is: Parker Noel. She is due sometime the morning of August 29th. We are very excited to have a name and we even have a baby bed!! Of course we are also starting to accumulate baby clothes as well. We will have a picture of little Parker soon. Also, we will have some new pics of our trip!!!

Cade & the Cousins

2008-07-10T15:30:00.003-04:00

We had a great day yesterday!! Cade and his cousins Madison and Sidney went to the park to play. Madison is the oldest (6) and Sidney is about 19 months old. Cademan had fun taking pictures and doing his favorite thing SWINGING. He loves to swing. He even went down the slide (with a little help from Dad). It was a great time!!

Little Man and Pops

2008-07-08T16:29:00.003-04:00

We went to visit my dad this weekend. We had a great time. Brenda, my step-mom, cooked it up and we ate and ate and ate. Cade had a great time chasing the cat and just pretty much crawling all over the place. I even got to play golf with Tony and Dad. Tony pretty much killed us on the course. That means I need to practice a bit more. On Saturday we traveled to Shreveport to visit my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin for the day. We had a great time with them. My uncle David told a few stories and I got to catch up with my cousin Julie, who I haven't seen in so long.

Keep checking for more updates.

Team Bedard in DFW

2008-07-07T14:56:00.003-04:00

Ok so we decided it would be a good idea to travel to visit family and friends during the month of July. So we left A-Town last Wednesday afternoon and have been to Grapevine, Lindale then back to Grapevine. We will be visiting my sister and her husband in Keller this weekend and Mindy's brother, sister-in-law and their 2 kids are coming to town from Atlanta. We will be hanging with them as we celebrate Mindy's mom's birthday. It will be a great time. Then Cade and I will be doing some visiting on our own while Mindy goes back to A-Town for a DR. visit. Then its back to Grapevine for a couple of days then I will be driving with my brother Tony to Colorado Springs where he is moving the end of the month. Then back to DFW and back home to A-Town (I will be referring to Abilene as A-Town hence forth). One full month of travel then one almost full month of recovery, preparation, etc as we await baby number 2 (its a girl but we have not decided on a name yet but have gotten plenty of suggestions). We are looking forward to visiting with some of our VA friends the middle of August!!!

It will be a great month of July and we look forward to visiting with so many of our family and friends. We will be updating pictures and videos as we can get to the computer. We wish everyone a great summer!!!!

Cade's First Unassisted Popsicle

2008-07-01T16:09:00.002-04:00

This is priceless. We were eating Popsicles and Cade decided he wanted to feed himself. The video speaks for itself. Enjoy!!

My wife

2008-06-28T13:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I just had to share this great picture of Mindy. Our VA friends the Werts gave us some gifts before they departed back home. You can see a couple of them in the picture. The ice cream scoop actually came from the Blue Bell ice cream plant. We have gotten some use out of it this summer for sure. The hat looks great on Mindy.

We have finally gone through every box and unpacked every dish here. It is a good feeling to finally have some things set up. My (Chris) office is ready for the upcoming semester. Mindy even has a little section of the front room she is calling Mindy's Pretty Room!! Cade has learned to navigate the halls of our house and can even go up and down the ONE step we have in our living room. Summer is here and we are about to depart for some adventures during the month of July. We will be visiting family, celebrating birthdays, and hopefully catching up with some old friends. We have been so blessed to have the Youngs in town to hang out with!!

For those of you that don't know, our 2nd baby is due to enter this world on August 29th. I start school the Monday before that (25th). It should be a busy week but we are very excited about it. I am even looking forward to homework (we'll see how long that lasts). I will be working toward a degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at ACU. It is a 2 year program. Anyway, that is the scoop here in Abilene. We will be able to blog more in the coming weeks as we travel so check back to see all our adventures.

Its Zoo Time

2008-06-27T17:54:00.002-04:00

We took a little trip to the Abilene Zoo today. It was great fun!! They have like 500 animals there and it took us hours to walk through (actually we got there at 9:15 and were back home by 11). But Cade had a great time. We went with our good friends Brandon, Jana, Rowan, and Skylar Young. I think Cade's favorite thing was feeding the ducks. He definitely loved the Giraffe and the Lions!! We will be posting more of our Abilene adventures soon!!

Cade's First Text Message

2008-06-13T18:02:00.002-04:00

Thats right you read correctly. Cademan sent his first text message today. I was sitting on the couch and heard my 'you just received a text' sound on my phone. I picked it up and saw it was from Mindy. The catch is, she wasn't holding the phone, Cade was. He had sent me a blank message. He is a genius!!!

We will update this more now we are getting settled.

Cade Turns 1!!!

2008-05-19T20:05:00.004-04:00

Well our little Cade man turned 1 today at 6:57am. It is so hard to believe it has been a year. In a way it seems like longer in other ways it seems like just yesterday we were crying looking at our little man's face for the first time. We had a great day. We went to Chili's and he ate his first grilled cheese sandwich and even got to ride in the car facing forward!! He just stared at us like he wasn't sure about what was going on. We are so blessed to have him in our lives and we can't wait for many more years with him. Oh, he got a walker on Saturday and is quickly learning to get around in it.

Mindy here, finally!

2008-05-18T21:33:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a REALLY long time. Chris has been in charge of the posting for several months. Tonight I finally have nothing to do, so I thought I'd write. Ok, that's not totally true. I have stuff to do, but unpacking boxes doesn't count tonight. We are so sick of unpacking, cleaning, moving furniture, moving furniture back, and so forth... you get the picture. I hate moving!
Tonight, I just thought I'd update all of you on stuff going on with us. I hope you enjoy!

*As Chris already said, Cade had his 1st birthday here in Abilene. We had great weather, and a wonderful afternoon with family and our friends Jana and Rowan (Jana's 4 yr old). Cade had his Dad's homemade ice cream (I think it was his best batch ever), and cake. More pictures to come.

*I am huge and pregnant! You will be able to see me in the pics from his b-day. I'm the fattest one there! I keep telling my sister that I'm a really bad influence on her right now since I eat anything and often. She's lost close to 50 lbs and I'm hoping she hasn't gained anything since hanging out with Gigantor the Pregnant!!

*I found a great OB here. That was the one thing I was worried about the most before moving here. I even had a dream about finding an OB and the nurse poked me in the stomach with a pencil to tell me how the baby was doing! I asked some reliable friends here and they all said the same name. So, I had my May check up with him and was extremely happy with the visit. He is younger than I expected, but with a great, happy personality. He has an iPhone, so Chris likes him and he hasn't met him yet!! He actually had a since of humor, and agreed with me that no one can prove that pregnancy can "cure" endometriosis; however, he said I might be the example he uses to argue that it does!!! Enough about him...

THE BIG NEWS is: we have scheduled the C-section for August 29th. This Dr. (like the Dr. in VA) said because we didn't wait 24 months in between pregnancies we don't know if my body has healed completely from the last C-section. I'll spare the details, but I agreed with the suggestion. And it helps ease our minds since Chris starts school on the 25th. The 29th is a Friday and he doesn't have any classes on Fridays this 1st semester, and the fam can come in if they want. So, it seems like the perfect day to have a baby girl! This one still doesn't have a name! We are going back and forth. We have it narrowed down to a few names, but we just need to agree on one. We still have 3 months to go; I'm sure she'll have a name by then.

*I know I had so much more to say, but I'm having the worst pregnancy brain this weekend! I can not remember what else I wanted to say!!! I think I'm going to bed now and hope to have time to write more tomorrow. And I hope I can remember what I wanted to say!!! Hang in there friends, just 3 more months of this!!!
Love to all!
Mindy

Cade's Party Part I

2008-05-18T19:22:00.003-04:00

We had a great party here yesterday. All the fam was here and even some friends that live just a mile away. As you can see, Cade enjoyed himself. Mindy will give some details later. Enjoy.

Our Abilene Home

2008-05-14T15:03:00.002-04:00

Here are some pics of our new home in Abilene. They were taken before we moved in. It looks quite a bit different now. I will post more when I have finished unpacking all my office stuff and find the camera cradle and cables!! We are almost finished unpacking and gearing up for Cade's big B-Day party this Saturday at 2!! Our families are very excited to be coming in for it. I will have pics next week.

New Address, Same Ole Family

2008-05-12T19:05:00.002-04:00

Well, its official. The Team Bedard has made its way to the great, beautiful, picturesque city of Abilene, TX. We have been here a little over a week and so far so good. We even have almost all our things unpacked. Cade is loving his new home and all the room to roam. His first birthday is coming up soon. We just got our internet going so we should be back in the blogging business soon. This one is short but there will be many more to come. We miss all our Virginia friends!!

2008-04-20T13:21:00.002-04:00

WE ARE HAVING A GIRL!!! We just found out this week. Mom and baby are doing great. Cade is very excited!! And this is our last week in Virginia. We have lived here for 8 years and it has be great. Mindy and Cade fly to Texas one week from today (Sunday). I will follow in the U-Haul and arrive in Abilene on Friday the 2nd.

We are very sad to leave such great friends behind. We have had great experiences and we cherish all the relationship we have made. We are also excited to start a new phase of life as I (Chris) will be headed back to school to pursue a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. We will keep the blog going so you can see what adventures we can get into!!

Cade In the Cabinet

2008-03-22T21:48:00.004-04:00

Well today Mindy discovered Cade had a new trick. She was in the kitchen cooking away and noticed that Cade was no where to be found. She looked down and didn't see him playing on the floor beside her. He had discovered a new play area. The pictures are priceless.

Up the Stairs

2008-03-20T23:29:00.002-04:00

He's getting stronger every day!!

Cade Man At 10 Months!!

2008-03-19T18:06:00.002-04:00

Here he is...the video speaks for itself.

Cade and the Soccer Ball

2008-03-13T12:43:00.003-04:00

Check this out!! This was about a month ago. He still loves to lick the ball before he throws it back. Enjoy!!

Baby Bedard #2

2008-03-04T14:27:00.002-05:00

Well here is our new addition in black and white. He/She was really active but the technician did a great job getting a profile shot. We are very excited to find out if its a boy or girl!!

The Mohawk

2008-02-28T19:23:00.003-05:00

Cade is beginning to love being in the bath tub. And he is finally getting some hair. Mindy fixed him up with a little mohawk. It was so funny. Cade is moving around pretty well now and really loves to pull up on whatever he can. Even in the tub he pulls up on the sides. He is growing up fast!!

Its All Too Fast

2008-02-21T13:45:00.003-05:00

Well last night our little man got really upset. We put him to bed at his usual time. Then about 45 minutes later he let out a cry then a scream. This is not unusual but he continued to cry and so Mindy decided to go up and check on him. We were so glad she did! Cade had pulled himself up and was leaning over the rail of the bed looking down at the floor trying to figure out how he could get down. So Dad spent the next 30 minutes lowering the mattress, bumper pads, etc so we could keep little man contained for a bit longer. It was scary but cool at the same time. This past week he started crawling, sits up with ease, pulled himself up in his bed, and started playing the stock market in preparation for his college education. I mean he is amazing!!

He's Mobile!!

2008-02-18T15:58:00.003-05:00

Ok so I was working on the computer when I heard Mindy say, "Come on, you can do it!". Then its, "Chris, get the camera!". I got there just in time to see Cade take his first crawling steps. As you can see, he was not happy but he did it. He has been working on this for quite a while now so to see him actually take a few crawling steps is awesome!!! Can't wait for more!!!

Nothing Like It

2008-02-16T20:57:00.003-05:00

I love this picture. There is nothing like watching Cade eat something with his hands. I love that it gets all over him. I mean on his face, hands, head, hair, bib, clothes, table, chair everywhere. Naturally I hope he will use manners as he gets older, but for now I love watching him eat away at whatever he can with reckless abandon. Then look at you with food dripping down and give the biggest smile!! Nothing like it.

1st Bruise

2008-02-15T13:55:00.002-05:00

Well we have our first bruise. Cade is learning to move around and he has this cool little music station with a mirror. Well last night he was mesing with this station when we heard a thud and then a pretty loud cry. We looked over and Cade was on the ground and the music station was on top of him. It had given him a pretty bad bruise. But by the time I took this, it had gone away pretty much. 10 seconds later he was laughing and playing again.

Yes, It's True!

2008-02-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

Mindy here. I haven't been on the computer in a while. Chris is kind of a computer hog!! But I like that he's blogging too. He's funnier. So, I'm 11 weeks pregnant, suprise, suprise! We were also shocked! We were told not to get our hopes up just because we had one successful pregnancy. I won't go into detail about all my female parts, but let's just say I'm almost 35 and everything is getting older and less useful! Well, Doctors can be wrong sometimes!! The due date is September 3. That would make Cade and this baby around 16 months apart. I've heard all kinds of advice about having both kids in diapers and how they will grow up like best friends. This is all exciting to us, and the fact that we won't know any different!! But I'll tell everyone this... this is probably our last kid!! I'm even putting it in writing! I have been just as sick with this one as I was with Cade. It's almost worse because it's ALL day sickness. I usually eat dinner around 8 p.m. or later. The rest of the day is spent trying to eat crackers, or anything that sounds good, and trying to keep it down. Last night was most unusual. I was severely nausious all throughout the night. The room was spinning all night and I couldn't lift my head off the pillow. Needless to say I didn't sleep much. So, if you don't hear from me please don't give up on me! This too shall pass! I'll be ready to get out of the house after this phase is over. Pray for Chris! He's doing everything with Cade and pretty much for me too! I don't know what I'm going to do if I'm still sick when he goes back to work!!
We ARE going to find out if this is a boy or girl. But that sonogram isn't for another 10 weeks, so you all will have to wait patiently like us. We will then come up with a name and, yes, we will tell you the name at that time.
Well, time to try and get some sleep. It all starts over in the morning...

P.S. I lost 9.5 pounds in the 1st trimester with Cade. So far, I've lost 3. I do not know how bilemics do it. My throat burns all day long! I know that's gross, but I'm just saying there are easier ways to lose weight. Speaking of, Cheers to my sister who has lost over 25 lbs (and still counting) and to my friend Jaime Sanderson. It is such a hard thing to do but so worth it. Go girls!
P.P.S. If you notice what time this was posted you might be wondering why I said it's time for bed. That time is WRONG! It says it's almost 8 pm. It is actually 12:05 a.m.!! Anyone know how to fix this? For some reason that bugs me!!!

All Tuckered Out

2008-02-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Well our world-win tour of Memphis, Gilmer, Grapevine, and Abilene is over and our little man is really tired. We had a great time with family and friends. I took this picture in the airport right before we got on the plane to head back to good 'ole Northern VA. Of course he woke up immediately when we sat down on the plane. We even got to sit with our good friend Julie!! It was a quick trip and we got home just fine. We can't wait to catch up with our VA friends!!

p.s. I forgot to mention that Mindy is pregnant!! More to come!!

2008-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

So we were driving yesterday from Grapevine to Abilene (Texas). About half way through the trip Cade decides he no longer wants to participate (at least not while in his car seat). So Mindy was going to show him a video on my computer. It turned out to be more of a task than she thougtht. All he wanted to do was push the keys and push the computer away with his feet. We thought these pictures were hillarious. We love our little man!

2008-01-30T13:13:00.001-05:00

Ok so we gave Cade a lemon to chew/lick on last night. We thought he would take one taste and spit it back. But no he loved it!! We got some pics. He has yet to spit out any food we have given him (even the nasty peas and green beans-that is what they call it- baby food from the jar).

It's Hammer Time

2008-01-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

No, no not M.C. Hammer. Cade just discovered that he could hit pretty much hit anything with a little plastic hammer. It is so awesome!! Here he is in action. He is doing well. He has started becoming more vocal these days. And he has this great high pitched scream that we try to get him to do in public places. He still gets frustrated when he can't get places but he's learning.

Bath Time

2008-01-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, I saw Cade in the sink getting a bath last night and thought I would share with the world. He loves the bubbles (thanks Mimi). He could sit there forever if you let him. We are here in Texas for another couple of weeks. Then back to VA! We are having a great time seeing friends and family. But we miss everyone back home!! Cade has learned a couple of new things. he is pulling himself up and has learned to go from sitting to ready to crawl. it is only a matter of time before he is mobile!!

Back in Action

2008-01-18T13:45:00.000-05:00

Hey there folks. After a little time off the blog circuit, we are back in action. We have had a great visit to Memphis and Texas. We are having fun with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Cade even got his first 2 teeth (you can barely see it in one of the pictures. Cade will also be 8 months old on Saturday!!! We miss everyone and just wanted to send a quick update. Oh, this is Chris doing the updating by the way (which is why it is so short). Have a great weekend.
chris, mindy, cade

A few new pics

2007-12-05T14:32:00.001-05:00

Our little Cade is rolling over both ways now, sitting up, and eating real food! (Baby food that is) So far, there isn't anything he doesn't like! He is going to be 7 months on Dec 19th. He's already been on so many airplane rides to Texas and Tennessee I can't keep up with the number any more! There is one word to describe him that I hear alot from other people, and of course, we think this too, is that he is just so sweet! He smiles at everyone. He doesn't mind other people holding him, yet. I thank God every time I look at him. He is truly a blessing to not only our lives, but those he comes in contact with. People get so excited when he smiles at them! I hate to tell them that he smiles at the toilet too!!! I don't know why, but before he gets a bath I lay him on the floor to change him and he kicks and screams at the toilet! Or maybe he just likes being naked! He is a boy! Oh well, it's cute!

Newsflash...

2007-12-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

We've had so much going on I haven't had time to blog. If you haven't heard, Chris resigned from his position as Youth Minister at Fairfax Church of Christ. December is his last month, and boy is it a busy month! We have been here for 7 1/2 years now. Our plan is for Chris to go back to school for his counseling degree. We have a long road ahead of us because he'd like to get his PhD in counseling. We have prayed so much about this decision, and we feel it is better to go ahead and get started on this program while Cade is still young. We would like for Chris to be finished with school by the time Cade is starting school so that we can settle down in one area of the country and not move around too much to interrupt Cade's childhood. We are getting many questions about our decision. Why didn't we do this before Cade was born? Why are we doing this in the middle of the school year and not in May or June before summer starts? What are you going to do if you don't sell your house? Why doesn't Chris just go to school in Northern VA? How are you going to pay for school? Is he going to work while he's in school? Are you going to work? What will you do with Cade? The list of questions goes on and on. Let me just say, we have prayed and prayed and PRAYED about this, and we can't answer every question. Everything that is happening is happening for a reason. God has opened up a door and it is time for us to walk through it. If there's anything I've learned about God it is HIS timing that is PERFECT. We trust in that alone. For those of you out there who have ever had a "leap of faith" you know what I'm talking about. Not everything is mapped out perfectly for some of us! I wish God made it that easy!!! But how else would we grow to love and trust in Him if he made life easy? Let me just say, we love this church, we've loved our time here in VA, we love the teens and their families, we love our friendships we've made, we love that so many people love our son as much as we do, and we appreciate that SOO much. This church has been so good to us. This was a very hard decision. One that we do not take lightly. We leave with sad, heavy hearts, and a bit of excitment about the next phase of life.
I think that's about all I have for the newsflash for this month! We had lost the camera for a couple of weeks so I didn't have any pictures of Cade, but we found it and now we're back to taking pictures for you to enjoy!
love to all!

Uncle Matt a.k.a the Gobstopper

2007-11-12T15:47:00.001-05:00

Matt Wert is trying to convince us that he is Cade's Godfather. Someone thought Gobstopper would fit him better! I'm not sure what I'd like to call him!

Even More Pirate Pics!

2007-11-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

I can't get enough of the pirate pics!! Notice the treasure chest filled with chocolate coins we handed out! Well, we didn't hand out all of them! I'm still eating them! He kicked his boots off and they would land either on him or on the ground. He thought that was so funny!

Halloween Costume...AARRGGHHH!

2007-11-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

Our little Pirate! We have a tradition of going over to the Gulick's for Halloween b/c our neighborhood is BORING! Kenndey is the cute Lady Bug and Cade is the "scary" Pirate!!! And, yes, that is Kennedy picking her nose! We tried to get her to stop, but Erin said she does that sometimes when she's nervous. There were too many people calling her name and telling her to smile at the camera. What's a girl to do when so many cameras are around? We can't all pose like a celebrity!

Cade's Halloween Outfit #1

2007-11-09T16:50:00.000-05:00

MiMi (my Mom) went crazy over Cade in this Halloween outfit given to him by his Pops and BB (Chris' Dad and Step-Mom). I put him in this outfit on the airplane when I flew back to VA and everyone was going crazy over him!! I figure this is the only time I can get away with putting him in stuff like this, especially the hat! He will hate me when he's older, but right now he loves the attention!!!

Madison and Cade

2007-11-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

Madison is Sidney's older sister (5 yrs). She is a BIG help with her sister and with Cade. She is growing up too fast, as they all do, and she gets sweeter every day! We love sweet Madison!
P.S. Those are not store bought highlights in her hair! Those are real! Don't we wish we didn't have to pay to look that good! I hope she never has to pay for those!!

Aren't They Sweet?!

2007-11-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

They were so fascinated with each other!!

Cousin Sidney and Cade

2007-11-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Here is Cade and his cousin Sidney in Memphis. My sister-in-law, Courtney, holding them. They are 5 months apart. So cute!

Pumpkinville

2007-11-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

We went to Pumpkinville with the Gulick's and Patterson's and Cade came back with wind burn! It only lasted a day. We thought this picture was cute! This was at the beginning of October; I do have more pics of Pumpkinville, but they are on 35MM. Haven't had them developed yet.

Out Of Touch

2007-11-06T18:24:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since the last blog. So much has happened. We took a trip to Memphis to attend my Grandfather's funeral. James William Hubbard (Billy) was 85 years old, married 61 years. He lived a great life and has a wonderful family as his legacy. His legacy also includes Hubbard's Hardware if you're from Memphis and have heard of it. He would've been proud to see all the people at the funeral and hear the funny stories they told of him. He had a great since of humor. In fact, we found out, the day he died he had been making the staff at the nursing home laugh one more time. Doesn't surprise me!

Cade and I stayed in Memphis with my Mom and Gran for the rest of the week. Then we made the long trip back to Dallas with my Mom. For those of you who know Cade you know he HATES riding in the car. Well, I must say, the 8 hour ride to Dallas was very pleasant. Erin let us borrow her portable DVD player and he watched Praise Baby and some of Finding Nemo and Cars. He actually slept in his carseat more than once (that is very rare). The only time he pitched a fit was right as we pulled into Mom's complex! By then it was too late to have a fit. We were already out of the car!! He is now much better about being trapped in his carseat!! He's much happier in the backseat now. I hear happy sounds coming from that corner instead of screams and kicking feet!!!

I flew back by myself with the little man and we both did fine. I was nervous at first, but then met the lady sitting beside me and found out she was a retired flight attendant! Needless to say she was a big help during the flight! I did most everything of course, but she helped hold stuff like my drink during turbulence. Cade fussed just a little, but that didn't disturb anyone. He was an angel of course!

Last week, after we got home, was a blur. It was our 8th anniversary and Halloween. I'll post some pics from Halloween asap. Last week was also the week of Power House (youth ralley). I didn't really do much for it, but I got myself organized and cleaned the house because our friend Jackie Qualls, his wife, Joellen, and sweet baby, Sydney, came for PH. Jackie was our speaker this year. He did an AMAZING job. I'm not just saying that b/c he's our friend. Ask anyone from Fairfax and they will say the same. I'm sure you can see pictures and possibly hear some of his talks on the website. www.fxcc.org If it's not up yet it will be soon.

I will have some pictures of Sydney (9 months) and Cade (5 months) later this week. They were so cute together! Joellen and I had so much fun with them this weekend. They will definitly be friends! I think that's about all that happened during October. I'll put all the pictures up when Cade goes to bed tonight. I'll have more time then.
Love to all!

Tag You're It!

2007-10-15T23:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, Erin this is for you... no one else cares!!!
1. Who is your man? Christopher James Bedard
2. How long have you been together? Married 8 years on Oct. 30th
3. How long dated? 3.5 years
4. How old is your man? 35 (But I'm so old I had to ask him how old he is! I couldn't remember!! The memory is the 1st thing to go!)
5.Who eats more? it's a tie!!
6. Who said "I love you" first? Chris, I didn't say it back until I was sure of it weeks later!!
7. Who is taller? Chris by a few inches!
8. Who sings better? Chris for sure! If you've ever heard him (or me) you already know the answer to this!!
9. Who is smarter? This is a dumb question!
10. Whose temper is worse? Chris says his and I say mine. But it takes ALOT to get either one of us going. Most of the time we are happy people!
11. Who does the laundry? Mostly me, but Chris pitches in more than most husbands typically do. He's always been Mr. Independant and can take care of himself. I love that about him! And he does the ironing!!!
12. Who takes out the garbage? Chris (but sometimes I do too)
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Chris. I like to sleep close to the bathroom, like Erin, but we tried trading places (since the b-room is near that side) and neither one of us could sleep in different positions!! Creatures of habit!
14. Who pays the bills? Chris, but he tells me whats going on so I don't spend too much!!
15. Who is better with the computer? Chris for sure! He converted me to be a Mac fanatic. I'm a believer now!! Everyone needs a Mac!
16. Who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn, but if we did it would be Chris. I have too many things I'm allergic to!! I'm a dork!
17. Who cooks dinner? Me. If he did we'd have goolash every nigh!!!!
18. Who drives when you are together? It's about even, but if we are going far Cade starts to scream so I sit in the back and entertain him. He's getting better about his carseat, but every once in a while he still gets mad.
19. Who pays when you go out? Most of the time Chris, but sometimes me
20. Who is most stubborn? We both point to each other on this one!!
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Chris. I have to think things over first and make sure I was wrong!!
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Both
23. Who kissed who first? We talked about it first, so it was mutual!!
24. Who asked who out? Not sure, but I think Chris. I asked him on a Sadies date, but he payed for it!!!
25. Who proposed? Chris at Preston Road C of C with our friends and his brother and sister there in the balcony! It was a night I'll never forget! We have it on video! Too bad we don't have a VCR any more!!
26. Who is more sensitive? Me for sure! But Chris is too, and he'll admit it. When you get envolved with teenagers lives you can't help but be sensitive to them and for them.
27. Who has more friends? It's even
28. Who has more siblings? we have the same- 1 bother, 1 sister. Chris is the oldest and I'm a middle child. That's why he takes such good care of me and I let him (such a middle child thing to do)!!
29. Who wears the pants in the family? What year is this, 1950? It's even between us. It may seem like I do, but if you listen to us when we are making decisions for our family it's a team effort.
30. Who makes the bed in the morning? Me it just makes the room look so much nicer even if the room is messy. Lately I don't feel complete until it's made. Is that a touch of OCD? I'm not sure!!!!
31. Who is a morning person? Chris for sure! Morning to me is 11 a.m.!! ha ha ha! But having a newborn has changed all that.
I tag Jaime S. and Ellyn S. (Julie I would tag you but you haven't started your blog yet!!)

Guess What...

2007-10-15T23:03:00.000-04:00

He ROLLED OVER TONIGHT!!! Of course we missed it b/c he did it while he was asleep. Cade hates to sleep on his back so when he turned over it woke him up and he started screaming. Chris went in to check on him and found him on his back!!! I think tonight might be a long night for us if this continues. We put him down on his stomache, he rolls over and wakes up, we turn him over, he rolls over, and so on and so on!!! Let the games begin!

Eating W/ His Grandma

2007-10-11T22:35:00.000-04:00

Chris' Mom, Dianne, comes to visit once a month after flying in from Qatar on business. She hasn't yet decided on her grandma name, but we think it might be Ya Ya (Grandmother in Greek), but sometimes Chris calls her La La to be funny. I like either one! This time she got to help with the cereal. (Don't worry MiMi, you will get your turn in November!!)
Notice his t-shirt? This was the night the Cowboys will go down in history for winning the game in the last second by a field goal. That was the weirdest game I've ever seen! But who cares! They won!!!

Look What He's Up To Now...

2007-10-11T22:26:00.000-04:00

Rice Cereal, YUM! He loves it! And he's sleeping better at night. That stuff is God given for sure! We are getting more sleep too! Next is oatmeal for breakfast.

Reading A Good Book

2007-10-11T22:18:00.000-04:00

The Wert's brought this book back from their trip to Alaska for Cade. He is enjoying it as you can see! Thank you Barbara, Paul and Uncle Matt!!!

Down For The Count

2007-10-04T23:28:00.000-04:00

We are all 3 sick this week, so no new pictures or interesting things to post. Cade is doing much better than me or Chris. He's getting more sleep than we are, so he's getting over his cold faster. I'll keep you posted...

Sunday School Class

2007-09-23T17:56:00.001-04:00

What a big boy! They said he wouldn't let go of his Bible!! Miss Leeann is his teacher and God bless her with all those boys in the class! We are missing one boy in particular... Baby Bennett we are awaiting your arrival to this crazy bunch! We are praying for that day and your parents will be as excited (and a little nervous) as we were today!

The funny part of all this is that I didn't know what I was doing to check him into class. The old system was to grab his tags from the wall put one on him and one on me. Of course, we have never done that system since today was his 1st day, but I noticed that they had made these tags for him and they were hanging on the wall. Now, they have a new system to check him in on the computer and they print off 2 stickers with his name on them (one for him, one for me). So, I took the tags AND got the sticker AND they gave me a pager in case they needed to find me in an emergency! I was all loaded up! When Chris saw me he said, "I want to wear one"! (Again, you have to remember, we waited 5 years for this day, so everything was exciting to us! It was hard to watch the parents in the hallways with multiple tags hanging off their clothes with the names of all their kids. It just reminds you- no tag, no kid.) So, Chris wore his tag and I wore his sticker and pager!! I went to Chris' class for a little bit and then Lisa wanted to tell me how well Cade was doing in class. Then I got distracted and sat outside the nursery with another Mom and her baby (Kristen and Kate) and chatted with them until class was over. No, I was not checking up on Cade, but I was not going to be late picking him up on the 1st day! When they handed him over to me he was asleep. He had played and played and had enough!! Our little angel!
I think I might grab the tag and the sticker again next Sunday just so Chris can be a Dad with a tag hanging off his clothes. One more Sunday won't hurt anything! He was just so proud to wear it!

Baby Dedication Day/First Day of Sunday School!

2007-09-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

Whoa! We had a big day today! Today was a baby dedication day and Cade's 1st day of Sunday School!! For those of you who know our story of trying to have a baby you might not know that I used to skip ALL Sundays that included a baby dedication. Those were just too much to handle. So, today when our names were called to go on stage and Lisa handed me his little Bible and picture frame and said "We've been praying for this day for so long and now it's here!" you can imagine the emotions!!! She and I both started crying, but then I was all smiles when I got on the stage holding my sweet baby! Chris and I both were so happy!!! He was a perfect angel on stage while Bruce said a few words and read scripture to us, and the 11 other families with new babies (all boys except 2 girls!!), and then an elder said a prayer for all of us. I don't remember a word Bruce said or who the elder was that said the prayer b/c the whole time I just kept thinking I can't believe we are up here with our little boy! I've never had a dream come true before until Cade. Later Lisa told me she was thinking about how much we all prayed for this day and how sometimes we don't see our prayers answered in the physical sense. Here he is, our answer to prayer in the flesh. Thank you, Jesus! And thank you to those who prayed for us for so long. What a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday!

2007-09-19T07:25:00.003-04:00

Sweet Cade is 4 months old today (the 19th)! This time is very exciting and also sad. Baby Bennett is still in the hospital. He continues to make improvements, but we can't wait for the day when he turns 4 months old and he's discovering his toes and fingers. Please keep praying for the Speck's. We love them and we beg God to heal Bennett completly. He is so adorable- see his pictures by using the link to his blog beside this post...

Discovering His Toes

2007-09-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

Cade has figured out that he can move the spiders with his toes!! It is so hilarious! The bouncy seat plays the song 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' and the spiders move up and down. Tonight he started touching the spiders with his toes and made them move back and forth. He didn't kick them just gently touched them like he was so curious about what they felt like! Next time I'll get this on video because it was adorable to watch.

Lauren's Wedding

2007-09-16T00:13:00.000-04:00

We attended the wedding of a former youth group teen. She is all grown up now! When we first met her she was learning how to drive and now she's a married lady and a college graduate! We had a wonderful time at the wedding. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding. Here are pictures of Lauren and Justin (bride and groom). Me and Chris and Teresa (Mom of the bride), and you know the rest!

Our Sweet Little Boy!

2007-09-16T00:08:00.000-04:00

Cade 1 & Cade 2

2007-09-15T23:24:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of the original Cade!! This is the Cade in Abilene that our Cade was named after. He is in 7th grade now, and we can't believe it! He was in Preschool when we saw him last! It was so much fun to see him and his parents, Tom and Judy. We love them so much! It was a very short visit, and it was WAY past little Cade's bedtime, but it was worth it to see them again.

Aunt Missy & Cade

2007-09-15T23:19:00.001-04:00

Visiting With Our College Students at ACU

2007-09-15T23:06:00.000-04:00

C & C On The Kabota

2007-09-15T22:23:00.000-04:00

Aunt Kelli & Uncle Patrick

2007-09-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

Maw Maw & Cade

2007-09-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

Airplane

2007-09-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

First Airplane Ride

2007-09-15T16:51:00.000-04:00

Up Late

2007-09-05T01:31:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is Chris writing at 1:30 AM on Wednesday morning. Couldn't sleep so I thought I would blog. Cade is growing up and changing more each day. I am not surprised by this, I mean babies can't stay little forever. They grow, change, develope, think, act, feel, talk, walk, laugh, etc. I guess through out our time (before Cade and now) nothing is surprising anymore. Except one thing. I love my wife more and more everytime I look at Cade or everytime I look at them together. Its weird that out of all that we have been through and how close we have become, I am taken aback at how much more I love Mindy. That is a great surprise to me! She is a great friend, wife and mother. We have a great team.

Send The Speck's Your Love

2007-08-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

Our church has set up a way to send the Speck's a message every time you pray for them, or if you are just thinking of them during the day. It's very easy:
Dial 703-331-4825 after the first beep put in your ZIP CODE (the Speck's would like to know what area of the world the page is coming from) and then hit # and hang up. It's very easy!

Baby Bennett Speck

2007-08-21T20:04:00.000-04:00

Pleas pray for our friends Kelly, Travis and Bennet Speck. Bennet was born on Monday the 20th with some complications. He is currently in the NICU at Georgetown Hospital and needs all the prayers you can send up. For more detail on his condition go to:

www.prayingforbennett.blogspot.com

also:

www.totsites.com/tot/bennettmitchell

Thanks.

First Youth Retreat

2007-08-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

Well, Cade enjoyed his first teen retreat. We went to the mountains and had a great time. It was the first of many trips to come!!

Cutie!

2007-08-10T01:19:00.000-04:00

I just thought he looked so cute in this outfit!!