April Showers Bring May Flowers

I am sorry my posts are coming fewer and farther between. There just seems to be so much happening that I can't get a moment to capture it all in a short and sweet blog entry. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of baby celebrations. So many wonderful friends got together to celebrate Abigail Jane's upcoming arrival. April 19th Cathy Beicker and Glenda Moreno (two lovely mothers of friends of mine who I have known forever) hosted a come and go shower which celebrated both a mom-to-be and a grandma-to-be. It was a great laid back chit chat party with ladies' nibblets and some amazing lime sherbet punch. Unfortunately all of the great moments were captured in my memory and not on paper. I had a spurt of mommy-memory-loss and didn't pull my camera out for anything.

The next day my parents and I drove to Houston to say Hello to our good friends, the Astros. I am sure you have heard of them, the madmen of Minute Maid Park. The weather was great so the roof was open and it wasn't too crowded. My mom did, however, have to give up her seat for the handicap section since she was still sporting her immobilizer and couldn't quite make it down the steps to our seats. But Dad and I took turns keeping her company. We are sure our presence at the Sunday game was what sparked a fire in the 'stros' bats and started a nice little winning streak. It was the least we could do after all the joy and frustration they have given us over the years.

The following weekend, April 26th, I had another shower which included the gals from high school and their mothers. I did actually remember to pull my camera out for this get together. Molly Oehlke and Liz Sedlacek did an amazing job with the luncheon at El Ranchito. My face was hurting so much from consistent laughing and smiling caused by reminiscing hilarious moments from our teenage years. It was so nice to see all those girls again. I must say we are all looking quite beautiful in our maturity. Many other friends from Mom and Dad's offices and out of town guests joined in the celebration as well.

We have received so many wonderful gifts from everyone at all the showers. Every one's enormous generosity is so overwhelming. Jay and I are so grateful to have such caring friends and family who continue to keep us in their hearts. We are so blessed to have such a large circle of faith and friendship. Thank you all again for celebrating our little miracle's upcoming debut.

The other reason I was slow to get back to you all, was my lack of contact with Jay and not having anything to update. He left on a 2 week, no contact, mission just before my last entry and said he would not be in touch again for a couple of weeks. It was to be early May before we heard from him again. I have been anxiously awaiting early May to get here, and as of this afternoon I had not heard a peep, not an email, nor a call. But thankfully when I got home today (Saturday), after a fun filled day in San Antonio watching Daniel's 7 on 7 football tournament, I discovered an email from Sgt. Blair, Jay's direct superior and friend:

Lauren Lea,
Hey, I'm writing to let you know that your husband has been extended on his mission by 5 days at his current location. He will be back around the 10th. He just wanted me to let you know. He is doing a great job out there.
Sean Blair

Good to know! And that's all I've got on Jay, haha. At least it's something. We'll take what we can get. He just knew I would be wondering what was going on after not hearing anything by now. I sent on my love and immense gratitude to Sgt. Blair for his update. I am not sure if you are all aware, but Jay was accepted to OCS (Officer Candidate School) recently and will be attending probably early next year. This will mean a new standing as a soldier and a new job. We do not know what his next job will be or where he'll be working after he passes OCS and becomes an officer, but we will most likely be moving again in about a year.

One last note...One of my favorite qualities that I think makes Texas so beautiful is that we have such an amazing array of wildlife and vegetation. May is a gorgeous month for wildflowers as we all have noticed while driving down our Texas highways. But one of my favorite wildflowers is one not seen on the highways, in front of city hall, or by "Welcome to Our Town" signs; it is the one whose blooms soften and brighten up a harsh unpopular plant growing all over south Texas. The cactus blossoms open up in shades of golden yellows, vibrant oranges and fiery reds. I feel so lucky every year because they always bloom right around my birthday. They are such a beautiful surprise amongst the May flowers. I hope you are noticing them as you drive down your neighboring country roads because this is the cactus's one shining moment all year long. I think they deserve our attention for these few weeks of spring. Love you guys, talk to you again soon!