A New Baby Boy!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Rory and Kim Fredrick!!
They welcomed their new baby boy, Dylan Rory, yesterday at 5:47 pm.
He weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces.
We are so thrilled for you guys and cannot wait to meet your little guy!!

Five Years Later

Five years ago today, a nineteen year old boy was on his way home from Gainesville. He had been up visiting friends, and picking out his new apartment. He was transferring to the University of Florida from the U.S. Naval Academy, and was so excited to be reuniting with his friends from high school, and starting all over again.

I had known this boy for four years. We met as freshmen in high school, at the birthday party of a mutual friend. We became fast friends, and over the next years of high school became as close as two friends can be. He spent a lot of time with my family- so much, in fact, that my parents considered him like the son they never had. He had a smile that lit up the world and was loved by many, loved by all who knew him. When we turned 16, his mother called me to tell me that they had bought him a car- a Chevorlet Malibu, and did I think he would like it? It was a surprise and she didn't know what he would think. He was my date to the junior prom, the first person I called when I just needed someone to talk to. He was my brother, in every way that counts. We stayed in touch via email while he was in Maryland. He was lonely there, missed his friends and family. He was excited to be coming home.

I was down visiting my parents at the end of June that year, 2002. I had been busy visiting friends and he has been busy, too. He called me on the day I was leaving and said, don't go anywhere! He drove over to my house and helped me pack to go back to school. He made me happy, like he always was able to do. I never thought that day would be the last time I would ever see him again.

He sent me an email while he was in Gainesville- he had lost my phone number and didn't know how to get in touch with me, but he was heading back home that day. I wrote him back, joking that my feelings were hurt that he didn't come and see me while he was in town. I don't know if he ever read that email. I really hope he didn't think I was mad at him.

He was driving home on I-75, following a few friends. He was alone in his car, the last car in the pack, and it was raining really hard. No one knows for sure what happened, but I am convinced that he had his cruise control on, and his car hydroplaned and he lost control. He drove into a tree- just miles from the exit to our town. He was almost home.

His friends lost him in the rain, but figured he had just fallen behind. They were all going to hang out, and were waiting for him for a while before they started to worry. He was all alone in the end.

He was heard in the ambulance to say, "I'll see you when you get there." He knew he was dying, and his last thoughts were of his family. He knew how hard it would be, but didn't want to be missed. Only, it is impossible not to miss him.

I will never forget that phone call. I was asleep, early on Saturday morning at Brad's parents house in Ocala. I heard the phone ring, and then Brad came in. My mom was crying on the phone and I sat up, panicked. My sister was working as an ocean rescue lifeguard in North Carolina that summer, and my first thought was that something had happened to her. My mom could hardly contain her emotions as she told me, "James is dead."

It took a moment to register. I had just heard from him, it wasn't possible. But then I just knew, and my world changed forever. Brad drove me halfway home, and my parents met us at the Brandon mall and drove me home so that I could go to the funeral. I didn't even have anything to wear- we had to go shopping to find a dress to wear, to go and mourn my best friend.

James Louis Battista was the kind of person who changes your life. He was kind, he was fiercely loyal. He wanted everyone to be as happy as he was. He literally had a smile that would light up the world. He had that kind of infectious laugh that could cheer up even the saddest of moments. He had a fun, silly sense of humor that I've not found in another person, since. He was a good friend who would give you the shirt off his back. He loved life, and he loved God and was as faithful a person as I've ever known. It is no wonder that God wanted James home with Him at such a young age.

I honestly believe that James was one of those special people, a true angel sent down from Heaven to touch as many lives as possible. It was just his time to go Home and while we can't ever truly understand it, I can forgive. I was so angry at God for taking him from me, but I can see how selfish that was. James was too special to stay here too long. He is just deeply, deeply missed.

When I was home visiting my parents over the 4th of July I went to visit James. You think that after five years it would be easier to walk into that cemetery, to see his name and dates written in stone. I came to the conclusion today that, it is never going to get easier. I sat and talked to him for a while, asking him to watch over my babies and I know he heard me. My children have the most beautiful guardian angel watching over them, always.

Easily Impressed

They just finished building a new addition on the Brandon Mall and so while we were out running errands yesterday we figured we would go walk around, get out of the heat for a while. After walking for just a few minutes, the first trimester bathroom breaks kicked in. Savannah was due for a diaper change, so the three of us headed into the family bathroom to get everything done.

I have never been so impressed by a bathroom in my life. I seriously thought about writing a letter.

We walked in to the lounge area, where there were a few couches set up facing a flat screen TV that was playing cartoons. We continued walking and came across 3 curtained areas with oversized chairs and ottomans, dubbed the "Nursing Area". Along one wall was a long countertop area, with plenty of space for diaper changes, plus sinks. They also had provided 2 wipes warmers, full of baby wipes, and 2 bottle warmers for those feedings on the go. There was also a microwave in one corner, for anything else that might need to be warmed.

After changing Savannah I went in to the stall and was blown away to see a miniature toilet just half a foot off the ground, with a miniature sink right next to it. A potty training area, right next to the regular toilet and sink. Honestly. Who puts this much thought into a bathroom?

At least now I know, in the future, where I need to go for my nursing/potty training/diaper changing needs!

Around the South in 30 Days

We had a bit if a change of plans in the middle of June this year. Brad went to work one Friday morning and came home that evening unemployed. It seemed that his law firm wasn't actually making a profit, since they had quite a few deadbeat clients who didn't actually pay for the legal services they had received. So here we stood, with a brand new house and a new baby on the way in 8 short months and our breadwinner was not longer bringing home the bread. So Brad set about doing the same thing we had done just one short year before- sending his resume out to every law firm he could find in the area, hoping and praying someone would have a need for an associate with one year's experience.

It was something that he had actually been thinking about doing, anyway. He hadn't been happy at his job for a few months now for various reasons and had decided that he was going to start looking for a new job to try and start at the end of the summer- he was really trying to get his week's vacation to the mountains of North Carolina before changing jobs. So it wasn't that he was unhappy about losing the actual job itself, just the timing of everything.

After over a week of praying and emailing, Brad got a response that a partner at a firm in Tampa wanted to meet him for an interview. So we commenced on even more praying, desperately, in the days leading up to the interview. I woke up about the time he was meeting with the partner and prayed until I heard from him- 3 hours later. I had actually started to worry a little, but then I thought the longer he is there, the better the interview must be going. He left with a promise that they would contact him "sooner than later".

So with a good feeling in his heart, and another interview at a different firm scheduled for the following week, we packed Savannah, Peyton and Boone up into my car and headed North. We stopped first in Gainesville at my sister's house to visit for a overnight. She and Shawn had offered to watch the dogs for us- something I think they seriously regretted about the time we pulled out of their driveway Friday morning. Let's just say they are very happy dogs, who love to play and don't love to rest. Add to that Jaime and Shawn's boxer pup and I can only imagine the amount of destruction their house endured. But, hey- they offered!

So we got back in the car, Savannah snug in her car seat with DVDs and episodes of The Little Einsteins and My Friends, Tigger and Pooh saved on my iPod and pointed ourselves North again, this time destined for Columbia, South Carolina. Our dear friends Jamie and Shelby (Savannah's godparents!) live there and we actually hadn't seen them since the baptism just over a year ago. About 6 hours and only one major stop on the interstate later, we arrived and had such a wonderful weekend. We went to dinner and while we were eating Brad received a phone call from the firm he had interview with- they thought they would help him start his weekend off in a good mood and offered him a position!

After that we were really able to relax and enjoy ourselves. Jamie had just bought a boat a few weeks ago, so we spent Saturday out on the lake in the boat, which was a lot of fun. Savannah really enjoyed herself. I have a lot of pictures that I need to load. We watched fireworks from the boat Saturday night, which Savannah just loved. She kept pointing and clapping and couldn't get enough of them.

We headed back home on Monday, stopping in Gainesville to pick up the boys and then headed home. On Tuesday night, before the 4th, we were invited to a party at the home of the partner who had interviewed Brad. It was a really good time, we had a nice opportunity to meet the lawyers and support staff, and their spouses in a more casual atmosphere. Kevin was here, so he watched Savannah so we were able to stay for a few hours and got a really good feeling about the firm Brad would be working for.

Early on the 4th we packed up again and headed down to Cape Coral to visit my parents for a few days. They took full advantage of the opportunity to spoil Savannah silly and we came home with more toys than she even knows what to do with. Think, Christmas in July. We spent a lot of time in the pool, which she just loved. My parents have neighbors on the other side of their lake who actually pulled a barge out into the lake at dusk and started shooting off 2+ hours of fireworks, which were just awesome. Better than any I have seen in a while and much better than the city-organized ones.... we got to watch them from the comfort of home (actually relaxing in the pool!) and didn't have to fight traffic afterwards!

We are back home now, with just one more week until Brad starts work next Monday. We haven't really decided what, if anything, we are going to do but it is almost a nice thought to doing nothing, just relaxing for a few days. So while Brad didn't get his week in the mountains, he has actually had 4 weeks off to find a new job and then enjoy himself for 2 weeks and visit good friends and family.