The Eccles

Surgery...

2009-09-11T16:01:00.002-07:00

As I'm sure most of you know I had surgery last Wednesday! I had to have my thyroid removed due to several nodules on it that were causing my voice to be weak and were putting pressure on my esophagus. Anyhow... I'm feeling GREAT! went back to work yesterday and saw the surgeon today... All is well! My calcium which had dropped after surgery causing me to have to stay @ the hospital an additional 2 nights is now in the high normal range (which he is pleased about). He took off my bandage today, giving me my first view of my incision... it's not as bad as I expected it to be, but it's definitely not pretty! Take a look!

First Day of School!

2009-08-10T21:05:00.005-07:00

Today was the kids first day of school. Taylor started 2nd grade and Trevin started Kindergarten. They were both very excited for school but I think Trevin began to get a little bit nervous once we were on our way. I thought I was going to do fine... my baby being in kindergarten and all...but the entire time I was saying goodbye I was choking back tears, as I walked home I let a few fall and all throughout the day I was constantly looking at the clock anxious for 3:00 to come so I could go pick them up. I was very excited to see 2 smiling faces walk out the school doors and run to me with excitement about their day. Taylor said her teacher didn't really teach them anything today all she did was tell them the rules and Trevin said that he learned about scissors and recess... =) Here are a few pictures of their first day and a few from "Meet the Teacher" last week.

Trevin @ his desk!

I can't believe how time flies!

"Off 2 School"

Taylor & Mrs. Burlaka

Trevin & Mrs. Hatfield... He got the same teacher Taylor had for Kindergarten.... We LOVE her!

Disneyland

2009-06-19T21:40:00.005-07:00

Last weekend Shane, the kids and I went to Disneyland. Although we have taken them several times, I think this was probably their best trip. They are at the age and height that they can pretty much ride everything... and We DID! I can't even begin to count how many times I heard "That was AWESOME" throughout the day! =) We had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back. The kids are having a hard time deciding which ride they liked the best... Trevin says he liked Space Mountain because as soon as it started it was so fast his cheeks were pulled back. They both liked star tours, the Darth Vader show, Hollywood Tower of Terror Hotel and they loved the one where y
you are flying and you see all the different weathers ( Soaring over California ).=)

Trevin's Eye!

2009-05-25T20:04:00.003-07:00

Thursday evening after work we left for California. We didn't get into Kerman until 4am Friday morning then the kids were wide awake @ 8am. By the time we finally went to bed Friday night at about 11:30 we were EXHAUSTED!!! Our sleep didn't last long... at 1am Trevin fell off the bed and hit his eye on Mom and Dad's night stand. Needless to say after seeking the Fire Departments opinion we made our way to Children's hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 2am got called back at 5am and didn't even see a Dr. until 8:30am... 4 stitches and 2 hrs. later (at 10:30) we FINALLY left the hospital. Needless to say after only getting 4 hrs sleep the night before and sitting in the ER for 9 hrs we were beyond exhausted... Trevin ended up having a rough weekend... on top of getting stitches on his eyelid he also ran a fever most of the weekend. Thankfully he is finally feeling better... now Shane is sick! =( Regardless of the craziness of the weekend and the sickness that seems to be lingering, we are glad we were able to spend some time with Mom and Dad and also that we got to visit a little with Poppy and Grandma Joyce. Hopefully our next venture out to CA will be uneventful and pleasant.=)

Taylor is "7"!

2009-05-05T21:34:00.005-07:00

Sunday Taylor turned 7! We celebrated on Saturday at "Color Me Mine" where Taylor along with her brother, cousins, and friends painted pottery. I can't believe what a beautiful young girl Taylor is turning out to be... it seems like just yesterday I took her into my arms for the very first time after ALL those LONG HORRIBLE HOURS of torturous labor! =) But I must say... every second of that LONG labor was worth it... I would have done it again in a heartbeat if it meant the joy of taking our beautiful baby girl into my arms... Taylor has brought so much JOY, laughter, tears and DRAMA into our household, but we love EVERY minute of it and are so proud to be parents to the most beautiful girl in the ENTIRE world! Taylor Denae Eccles! We love you Sis!

Me and My Kiddos!

2009-04-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Easter, Missing Teeth & misc. pics..

2009-04-14T21:44:00.004-07:00

These are for Grandma and Papa... they have been anxiously awaiting these pictures...!!!

Easter!

Taylor lost both of her front teeth! =)

Riding the ponies at a carnival we went to...

Missing 1 tooth!

Exhausted!

2009-03-31T19:20:00.003-07:00

Well, we have had a busy week... Last weekend PJ and Shawna were here, so we spent much or our free time hanging out with them... then they left wednesday night (early thursday morning) and Mom and Dad got here early Friday Morning. Unfortunately I was horrible and didn't take pictures, however we did have a lot of fun spending time with everybody and were sad (as usual) to see everybody go home. Anyways, today after school Trevin was not behaving and he ended up getting sent to his room for a while. After a little while I went in to check on him and this is how I found him...=)

He must have been exhuasted! Poor guy!=)

Anniversary, Vacation, Dedication and Shower

2009-02-07T14:01:00.006-07:00

Last week Shane and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary. We usually take vacation time around our Anniversary and try to do something together as a family. This year we were not able to vacation to any hot spot or take a Caribbean cruise or anything like that but we were able to travel to California. We had a very busy, busy busy week. Tuesday was spent driving...Wednesday & Thursday were spent hanging out with friends and family... Friday was spent driving (some more) to Stockton to stay with my brother and attend Landmark as his church... Saturday was spent at a Baby Shower for my beautiful baby cousin Erica... and Sunday Erica was dedicated in Kingsburg then after having lunch with the family we loaded up for more driving... We spent the remainder of the day sadly driving home after our wonderful time with friends and family. Although I am always anxious to get home after being away it is always sad to say Goodbye. Mom and Dad Thanks so much for letting us invade your territory for the week we always enjoy our time with you guys. PJ and Shawna thanks for letting us invade your home Friday Night. Although it went by in a whirlwind because there was so much going on, we enjoyed getting to see your town and your house. And last but definitely NOT least thank you Shane... You are amazing... instead being upset that we were not going to spend our 8th anniversary on some exotic vacation, you spent your vacation hauling us around. It's amazing that it has already been 8 years, it has seriously flown by. I am so thankful that God gave me you! I love you so much! Thank you for all you do for us... I love you Baby!

Christmas & New Years

2009-02-07T13:56:00.008-07:00

I know this has been long coming... So I will keep it short and sweet. Our Christmas and New Years were very busy and fun!!! We got to spend Christmas Day with Mom and Dad and then at New Years (as I posted previously) we had our annual Camp Arizona. However, as I also posted previously this year was special PJ, Shawna, Lex and Gentry surprised us and we ended up getting to spend a whole week with them. Enjoy the Pics.

In California...

2009-01-31T23:28:00.002-07:00

Hello all my blogger friends. I know its been a while and I have not made good the promise I made to post pictures of our Christmas and new years holiday. Sorry... I have been extremely busy with finals, sickness and now we are in California and have been her since Tuesday evening. We are having lots of fun and are sad to see our visit coming to an end... We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon after Sunday morning service in Kingsburg. Erica is going to be dedicated there tomorrow and then shortly after service we will be loading up for the long trip home. I PROMISE I will post pictures later on this week or next weekend of our holiday season and also of all our fun here in CA this week. So check back soon!

A Special Day...

2009-01-17T22:26:00.003-07:00

Today is a very special day... It's my Mom's birthday! I can honestly say that although many of you out there think you have the "best mom" I truly have been blessed with the "ULTIMATE BEST MOM". As a child it is sometimes easy to overlook the sacrifices and hard work a parent endures to ensure their child's each and every needs are met. Now as an adult I look back and realize that I am the person I am today because of the parent's God chose to bless me with.
-Mom-
I love you so much! I could never write enough words to express what an AWESOME Mom, Grandma and Mother-in-law you are. You are an inspiration to me... You have the most amazing heart, and you continually shower your family with unconditional love. When we're apart I miss you so much! Although I say its just the kids counting down days till they get to see you again... that's not true...I'm the same way too...to be honest so is Shane.=) Thank you so much for always being there for me when I need you... in fact although you were not feeling well yourself this week... you still found a way to comfort your sick child. As always when I'm sick I "need my mommy" so I called you at like 7:30 in the morning just needing to hear your voice. Just something about when mommy says its going to be ok... then it will... bottom line!
Thanks Mom for all you do and for being you... I have the best Mom in the world and there's only one other person who can say that and I will believe them...PJ =)
Love you Mom
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

What a SURPRISE!

2008-12-30T21:23:00.002-07:00

This week is our annual "Camp Arizona". Beginning in the year Ruth and Greg got married, the majority of our family has traveled to Arizona for new years and it has become our annual family reunion. Well, this year we were really hoping PJ, Shawna and the kids would be able to join us, however a couple of weeks ago we got the bad news that they would not be able to. Needless, to say we were pretty bummed. Well Mom and Dad have been here since last Wednesday, and they attended church with us on Sunday. There we are in church Sunday morning, (me on the platform) and to our surprise in walk PJ & Shawna... what a bunch of dorks we probably all looked like with huge cheezy smiles on our faces. =) Apparently when they dropped off Lex and Gentry at Sunday School, Taylor and Trevin were ecstatic also!!! We are so excited to be able to spend time with ALL of our family this holiday season! What an AWESOME surprise! Check back later for pics!

Trevin's 5th Birthday Party!!

2008-11-30T01:55:00.002-07:00

How Time Flies!

2008-11-26T21:24:00.004-07:00

Yesterday Trevin turned 5. I am a horrible mother... The day flew by yesterday without me even getting a chance to sit down and write about it. Most of the day I spent on the verge of tears, and I finally broke down and let them flow that evening as we were sitting down to have cake together. I can't believe our baby is already 5... it has went by way too fast! It literally seems like just yesterday we were holding him in our arms for the first time. However, as hard as it is to believe its true... he is turning into our little man. So needless to say, although we are getting ready to celebrate on Saturday at Pump it Up, I am saddened by the thought that these past five years have gone by in a flash.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST SON IN THE WORLD... TREVIN--- MOMMY AND DADDY ARE SO HAPPY GOD HAS GIVEN US SUCH A SPECIAL LITTLE BOY... WE LOVE YOU!

With Full Hearts!

2008-11-12T21:13:00.007-07:00

The conclusion of a long, stressful day, yet here we are with FULL Hearts!
Tonight as we were putting the kids to bed, I went in to pray with Taylor, as I finished my bedtime prayer, Taylor asked me...

"Mom, how old were you when you got baptized?"

"Um, 9 why?"

"Cuz I'm scared"

"Why, Baby what are you scared of?"

"I wanna hurry and get baptized?"
At this point she was fully crying and I also have begun to cry.

I proceeded to ask her why she felt like she needed to hurry and get baptized and she said...

"I'm scared Jesus is going to come and I won't be baptized yet" !!!

I wasn't sure what to say... I called Shane in... and he too became choked up with emotion.

How do you know if its the right time or not? I'm sure some would say to have them baptized as soon as they say they are ready. However, I think it's extremely important for her to understand the significance of baptism. Anyways, we explained to her that Jesus sees her heart and is very happy with her because He knows how important He is to her. And we are going to be praying for this desire to blossom and for God to help her have a clear understanding.

What an amazing feeling. I can not even begin to express the overwhelming sense of pride and gratefulness that began to flow through me. God has truly blessed us with 2 amazing kids! How fortunate we are, that our daughter at the young age of 6 has already developed a desire to live for God.
All I can say is "God thank you so much for trusting us with such special gifts! And help us as parents to always put You first and be Godly examples.

Sunday Night!

2008-10-16T21:20:00.005-07:00

"Precious"

"Handsome Little Men"

Taylor & Baby Caden

Nanna & Caden

Hello... It's been a while!

2008-10-06T14:29:00.004-07:00

Well it's been a while since I have blogged about the current happenings in the Eccles Family. Things have been crazy busy around here for us, Shane and I both just got over bronchitis, now Taylor has Strep Throat and we are just hoping and praying Trevin can stay well.
School is going great for all of us!!!=)
Taylor- is doing AWESOME, each week they have a homework packet and throughout the week we complete the assignments and return it on Friday. It seems like the jump from kindergarten reading, writing and spelling to the first grade level was huge, however Taylor has really caught on quickly and is doing GREAT!!!

Trevin- is loving going to school. He has a bunch of little friends and every time I see any of them in the hallway or on the playground, they are always screaming "Your Trevin's Mom"!=) I have recently discovered that Trevin is the oldest boy in the class, due to his Late November birthday. This can pose as a difficult situation or a positive one, we are really working towards the positive. Apparently it seems many of the children are followers and tend to shadow the behavior of many others in the class, being that Trevin is the oldest, his teacher is trying to help him to be a leader and make positve choices with the hopes of many friends following his lead. =) Wow, that seems like alot to ask of my little rambuctious son, that seems to find difficulty sitting still for any length of time and seems to me to be following the role model of "Dennis the Menace". LOL!

Shane- is doing great is school I think he has about 7 or 8 months left until he completes his Associates and then another 1yr 9 mos to recieve his Bachelors. Now he is considering going for his masters? We shall see...

I am about 1 yr and 4 months away from getting my Associates. No I am NOT going to go any longer than that...only 48 credits to go! =) I can't Wait!

Love and Miss everybody! Looking forward to the next couple months... we are expecting visitors... Next week we will finally get to see Papa & Grandma! we always hate the summer months cuz its Papa's busy season and they don't get to come visit... so its been about 3 1/2 months since we've seen them. WAY TOO LONG! Looking foward to Thanksgiving...Mom, Dad, Pj, Shawna, Lex & Gentry will all be here! I think this is going to be the first holiday we have all got to be together since we left California 2 years ago. WE CAN'T WAIT!

Expecting Our First Visit from the Tooth Fairy...

2008-09-15T15:21:00.005-07:00

Last night after church Taylor lost her very first tooth. I know, some of you are probably thinking how silly to put this on our blog, but if you only knew how huge of thing this has been for us you would understand. All last year in Kindergarten Taylor was in turmoil because all of her friends were losing teeth and she didn't even have one single LOOSE tooth. Well, finally in first grade she got her first loose tooth and had to let everyone know about it. Then as it began to get really loose she was a nervous wreck worrying about it falling out. Finally, last night it was pretty loose and her and Daddy worked together wiggling that stubborn little tooth free. Silly tooth fairy had no cash on her and was not prepared to make her visit last night, so we had to tell Taylor that the tooth fairy was off on weekends and was tired from church so she would have to wait to put her tooth under her pillow on monday night. =) She looks adorable Here are a few pictures!!! Enjoy!

Off to School!

2008-08-11T20:59:00.004-07:00

Well, Taylor started first grade today and Trevin had his first official day of preschool. Last week was still considered the summer program, so today was the actual first day. I can't believe my babies are growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was the nervous kindergartners mom reluctant to leave my little one in the hands of someone else. Now here we are 1 year later, and Tay's a First grader and Trevin is in preschool. Anyways, lots has been going on here lately. I am working full time, at the same preschool Trevin is at. It's a great school, they are an accredited private school, and teach a structured curriculum. This year Trevin will be learning phonics and basic reading and writing. Here are some pictures of the kids this morning. =)

Meet Taylor's First Grade Teacher

2008-08-09T10:47:00.004-07:00

Taylor starts First Grade on Monday Aug. 11th. She is very excited to be a BIG first grader. Here is Taylor and Mrs. Johnson, her first grade teacher.

"First Day of Preschool"

2008-08-04T21:25:00.003-07:00

Today was Trevin's first day of preschool. (sniff)> My baby is getting big too fast! He had a great day! Although I work there at the school, I was a nervous all day that he wasn't adjusting well, but his teacher said he did very well! I will be taking more pictures later when his uniforms arrive. Enjoy!

Misc. Pictures

2008-08-04T20:54:00.007-07:00

Taylor & Caden Sunday Night...

Erica's first Church Service...
.

Check It Out!!!

2008-07-31T20:03:00.003-07:00

Hey guys, you should check out The Greatest Generation for a great slide show of Ashtyn, Taylor and Trevin having a great time!

Inspired...

2008-07-23T22:39:00.004-07:00

Well, I was over at Myndfood the other day and was prompted to share a story from this past Sunday Night at church. It was Shane's weekend to work, so after coming down from the platform, I collected the kids from their various spots in the church (when Shane's working they sit by themselves, one in the very front one in the back). Anyways, we found our seats, and hadn't been seated long when the kids began to have one of their feuds, I began to get nervous, things were getting heated and I could not manage to get them cooled down. So there they were in the middle of church: hitting, swinging, pushing, making faces, turning red in face, crying, pinching etc. Needless to say it ended up being one of those services... No sooner did I get back from one humiliating retreat through those double doors, and I found myself getting right back up and going right back out, each time with a unhappy child. Needles to say, by the time I got home I was frazzled, frustrated, disappointed, and wondering what I was doing wrong. Once home, I quickly fed everyone, and it was off to BED! As I was tucking Taylor in, and got down to pray with her she asked me:

"Mom"

"Yeah"

she said " How old do you have to be to get baptized?"

my breath caught in my throat, I wasn't really expecting this right now, but I laid down next to her and we had a heart felt conversation. Well, needless to say at the end of our conversation she told me, she was going to pray, I said OK go ahead!

She said...
"Jesus, take care of my family, Amen!"

(sigh)...(tear)... I became all choked up and teary eyed, and immediately the frazzledness (if that's a word), frustration, and disappointment vanished.