Here's to you.

December 1st this year would have been T.C's 21st birthday.  Now, I don't drink and 21 is mostly known for finally being able to legally drink alcohol but I wanted to remember my brother for his 21st birthday with a poem I wrote about him.  This is just how I knew T. and miss his great personality!  So T, here's to you!

A baby boy, to a strong young man

created by the Father's hand.

He came to earth with no limit to imagination,

dreamed of his own kind of creation.

With "what if"s and "wouldn't it be cool"

A drive to learn but only sometimes to in school.

Bright blue eyes full of hope and love for all

He'd stand by you so brave and tall.

His might hands would work, that loved to play

And still served others day by day

Rode horses, fixed trucks, there was usually fire

Danger and dirt roads were adventure of desire

His hugs, smile, and humor could fix your day in the blink of an eye.

A shoulder to lean on when you needed to cry.

He wouldn't turn you away cause of how you look or who you are

Not even if you took the remote or gave him a scar.

Jokes and magic were a passion he started young

mischief and traps over every door hung.

With spot lights, black lights, and a strobe light

Took bedroom raves to an all new height.

Spray paint and duct tape used to fix his truck

Out four-wheeling and getting stuck was just his luck.

Wasn't the most popular or considered the coolest in the crowd

But he didn't care, if you accepted him as a friend you'd be proud.

Didn't always like school, unless he got to make things explode.

If you sat by him in class you were bound to laugh a load.

Remembered as a friend, son, and brother

So unique, he was unlike any other.

Blessed to have known this inspiring young man

Who taught us to be as loving as we can.

17 years, his story's not over or complete

he lives on in our hearts, until again we meet.

A strong young man, funny, and clever

Thomas Curt Mayberry, we love you forever!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY T! 

 

1 YEAR!

I am in disbelief that my little girl is going to be ONE YEAR OLD this week. Let me tell you about this little angel and brag about how amazing I think she is.  Blake started walking a little after 10 months and when she figured out the walking she did not want to crawl anymore.  Her walk is hilarious, she looks like she has been riding a horse for days, she walks all bow legged.  Right after learning to walk I went and bought her a pair of shoes so she can go for walks outside.  Never in my life have I seen a little one like shoes so much. Right off the bat, she would bring me her shoes and sit down and pick up her feet.  This is just ONE days after buying the shoes and she wasn't even 11 months yet. She still loves her shoes, I tell her to go get them and if something doesn't distract her before she finds them she'll get them and bring them to me. She is learning to sign and LOVES watching videos of people signing songs with the music.  She has always loved music and she is very intrigued by sign language.   She can now sign milk and shoes. Blake has a funny fascination with scaring people.  It's like peek-a-boo but she roars at you. She will leave and go into another room then when she is coming back she'll roar right when she comes in the room like, "haha, I scared and you didn't even know I was gone." It's hilarious.  Today at church she stuck her head under the back of the metal chair in front of us and roared at the ladies sitting on each sides of the chair. They didn't notice but Kade and I got a good kick out of it. Blakely LOVES to read books! We read them over and over again, well now I can just recite them and turn the pages, that's how many times we have read them. She loves to play with other kids and I wish she was around her cousins more.  Good thing she has a sibling coming in April 2015. Yup, SURPRISE! Blakely is going to be a big sister.

Blakely Jo has been a great blessing in our lives.  Kade and I would be so bored without her silly self to keep us entertained. I am truly amazed at how much love I feel for this little person and grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity.

 newborn

 almost one

Learning...

Something you can only learn by doing, is being a mother.  Someone can tell you over and over, how you will love your child, how tired you will be, how hard it's going to be, or how happy they will make your day.  Prepare all you want but until you have that precious perfect being in your life, it's impossible to fully understand.  I was very nervous to have a baby, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to handle the lack of sleep, that I wouldn't be patient enough for the crying, that I wouldn't be able to take care of her the way she needs. It's was a perfectly reasonable feeling, as soon as my little girl was here, I knew it was going to be ok.
I think back to the first couple of weeks after I had Blakely, she would wake up for a good hour in the middle of the night and I would get up and hold her and walk her around.  It might sound crazy, but I am grateful everyday for those hours.  Those hours of complete love, she needed me and trusted me, it was perfect love and perfect trust.
Everyday Blakely grows and changes in someway.  I can see Heavenly Father's miracle of life when I see her.
I love getting to spend all day everyday with her! No, things aren't always easy, sometimes she cries for no reason, sometimes she won't go to sleep and I am beyond exhausted, sometimes she won't eat and get grumpy, but I survive.  I know Heavenly Father is going to help me raise one of His children and I have a wonderful husband who is an amazing father.
I wouldn't change having this little girl for anything.  She makes me laugh and smile everyday! She teaches me to take care of someone else besides myself.  She is the best example to me of being happy and loving others.  Blake might be shy at times around people but for the most part she loves crawling up to some stranger at church or smiling at everyone at the store.  It doesn't matter what they look like or what language they speak she wants to be their friend.

Family is truly an incredible masterpiece that God has put in the plan of Salvation.  While at times family may be a trial they can also be our strength and teach us so much.

July 24, 2014

We have lived in Texas for 5 months now! Time seems to be flying by, Blakely is growing fast, Kade is working hard, and I'm trying to stay out of the humidity!  My dad came down for a 30 day detail and brought Morgan with him.  My mom came down about 2 weeks after they got here.  We had a lot of fun with them, we went to the beach, a water park, bowling, swimming, shopping, and the movies. Blake was a trooper, I think she really enjoyed having other people round to play with.

Blakely is trying to walk, she can stand for a couple seconds by herself and walks along the couch, chairs, and book shelf.  The has 8 teeth and slowly trying to get the next one to cut through.  She has a very good sense of humor but acts very shy around new people.  She is super ticklish! She loves her build a bear that sings to her and her Pony touch and feel book.  Her favorite food is cheese and loves drinking water from her sippy cup.

Kade is on the day shift right now and we really enjoy getting to spend our evening with him!  He works so hard and still makes time to spend with us, even if he is super tired.

Since Blakely is growing so fast, Kade said we needed to take some family pictures.  It was windy and the camera was being difficult but a few turned out pretty good!

 Blake is squinting in the pictures not angry.

Doodles

For about the last year and a half I've been doodling in a drawing book Kade gave me.  I'm not a professional by any means but I really enjoy it and it's a good way for me to relax. I learn a lot from doing it, the hardest part is deciding what I want draw next.

 

And of course a picture of my awesome little sweetheart!

Spring Cleaning

It's that time of year, Spring cleaning! Even though we have already rearranged our apartment 3 times since moving here 3 months ago, it's a wonderful feeling to go through and deep clean a home.  Kind of like we should be doing with our lives, take the time to clean out the junk and have a fresh start.  Whether it be trying to eat healthier, trying to be more kind, being more honest, using time wisely, or more importantly using the Atonement. Through our Savior Jesus Christ we can always "Spring clean" our lives.By having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized and taking the Sacrament worthily each week, and the Holy Ghost as constant companion, we can have that fresh start.  And who doesn't like having a clean house?!  What a great blessing!

After having a wonderful trip to Arizona we were happy to be back home, mostly because we missed Kade.  We loved getting to spend time with family.  It is sad being so far away from everyone, but I am grateful for this great job Kade has and the opportunity we have to get to spend so much time together.  We get to figure out what kind of parents we want to be and the kind of family we want to be. But we will be very glad when we get to be back closer to more family.
Kade is almost done with FTO, only 3 weeks left before he starts Journey Men ( I think that's what it's called).  He is working very hard and seems to really be enjoying the outdoor work.  Blakely decided to do a little crawling today. It was only a few steps but  hopefully that means she's ready to crawl.

Here's a few photos from our trip to AZ.

Blakely and her cousin Katelyn

My wonderful father
 

A four generation picture taken on Mother's Day. How lucky I am to have these ladies in my life, even the little lady on my lap.

Spring Time!

Blake is growing up so fast! She is sitting by herself and getting more personality everyday. She is super ticklish and has an adorable laugh.  She loves getting to live with her dad except at night when he coughs too loud and wakes her up ;)

 

 

 

 

 








Kade seems to be liking work so far.  He loves going out and being in all the action, when there is any.  Not quite a big fan of being in the office.  Learning a lot and doing really good on his Spanish.

Family is Forever

The Mayberry family finally were all together to get some pictures.  With the crazy wind and bright sun these were pretty much the only ones that turned out.

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Hello Texas!

After a long 16 hour drive crossing the New Mexico and Texas border we finally made it to our nice little apartment.  Emphasis on the little, good thing we like each other.  We got to spend a few more days with my wonderful in-laws, who we are very grateful to for helping us move down here.  They joined us as we took Blakely on her first trip to the beach.  Of course, being 4 1/2 months old she really couldn't tell us if she was enjoying herself or not but she loved getting her feet in the water. But South Padre Island was a lot of fun!

Leaving family was definitely sad, but I'm glad I'm finally getting to live with my handsome husband and beautiful baby girl.

Kade started working on Tuesday, he's hoping this first part will go by quick so he can get to the real work.  Or as he says, "hunting people and crushing dreams". We are very grateful for this job he has and how hard he works to provide for his family.  It is absolutely heart warming to watch him play with Blake, give her baths, and make her laugh.  He is a wonderful father and amazing husband, I couldn't have asked for anyone better.

Blakely is stinkin adorable and so unloved?... yeah right! Her daddy is loving every second he gets to be with her.  Ok, maybe not quite so much in the middle of the night when she wakes up super fussy. ;)  She loves talking and finding her voice, its funny listening to her try to figure out how to scream.  She rolls over like a champ, loved having her toe nails painted, and toots like a grown man.... poor girl.  She can stand with all the weight on her legs but still wobbles a lot.  She is doing really good trying to sitting up by herself.

I love getting to spend the days raising my daughter.  I wonder sometimes who she is going to be as she gets older, what kind of personality she is going to have.  But then I see how cute she is now and hope her growing up doesn't come too fast!

Well we really miss all of our family and friends and hope they all know how grateful we are for all they do for us.  Thank you to my parents for allowing Blake and I to stay with them while Kade was at the academy and ALL the help my mother gave me since we got home from the hospital with a brand new baby.  All the lunch time visits and evening of you holding her so I could shower or work out or hang out with Morgan, it all meant so much to me.


                                                                                                                                        J.

I Go Back

I think that as humans one of the things that we are so truly blessed with is the ability to remember and reminisce on amazing memories!
Life gives you little moments that you can't help but smile. For instance one night while I was living in thatcher, my best friend/roommate and I randomly bought an artichoke at the store.  We spent the evening talking and eating on the front room floor.  I can't even count how many silly, ridiculous, and random things we did.
Next month will make 3 years since my sweet little brother T.C. passed away. Losing him would have been so much harder if I couldn't remember, remember who he was, the love he shared, the jokes he told, and all his talents.  Even though I miss him so very much, I am grateful everyday to remember so many wonderful times we shared.
Moments in life are so diverse. The moment we realize how much we are in love with an amazing man.  The moment we see our first baby and instantly know how perfect she is. The moment we learn how important spending time with the ones we love is.
I remember back to when we moved to Arizona in 2008, so many different feelings. Being nervous for change, excited for new opportunities, sad to leave old friends, and happy to make new one, these are just some of the feelings.  I was very glad to have a clean start, to come to a new place where not many people knew who I was. I wanted to be a better person with higher standards.
I am truly grateful that I can "remember". It brings so much peace and joy to my life.

Our New Addition

Meet Blakely JoAnn Harris. She was born October 4th 2013 at 11:37 in Tucson AZ at TMC.  She was 6lbs 14oz and 19 inches.

At her 2 month doctors appointment she weighed 10lbs 14oz and 22 inches.  She will be 3 months old this Saturday.

She is growing so fast and has the sweetest personality.  She loves when we get to see her daddy! He plays with her and gives her showers, she just smiles the whole time.  Blakely has been a great blessing to my life and I love getting to spend every day with her.  

Some activities Blakely enjoys include; playing with her tongue (ALL THE TIME), looking at lights, of course playing with her dad, bath time, playing on her play mat, and playing with her hair.

I am so excited to see the kind of lady Blakely grows up to be.