Every year on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when others are fighting crowds for huge "savings," we begin our Christmas tradition. Preparations actually begin a couple days earlier. I usually take a day or two off before Thanksgiving and all the outside lights up. On Friday we wake up and get ready to head to the Elgin CHRISTmas Tree Farm. We always enjoy going there and checking out the animals, hay maze, the shops and the hot chocolate. We cut down our Christmas tree and on the way home we stop at Southside Market for some great Elgin BBQ. Then we come and decorate the tree and inside the house. While we decorate, we have our first taste of eggnog for the season and watch Ice Age, followed by Dr.Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Horton Hears a Who.
We were on pace to continue our tradition this year, but the Monday before Thanksgiving, around 2AM, Holly started having real contractions that were consistent and not far apart. About 6 hours later, Isaac was born. We were fortunate the docs agreed to let Holly come home a day early, and after her c-section, she and Isaac were home on Wednesday afternoon.
So, the lights were not put up before Thanksgiving and there was no Christmas tree hunting or BBQ on Black Friday. A week later, however, my bro-in-law Mike came over and helped me get on the roof to get our outside lights up. On Friday, Holly was feeling good and we were able to continue the tradition only a week late. The temperature was like 180°, or 80°, so we skipped on the hot chocolate. We did have a fun time on the farm though, everyone loved the BBQ, and we got all our decorations up! We are ready to celebrate Jesus' birthday for the next month!
The pics you see Holly and I in front of the tree, they are probably not centered or focused...that's cause I had Jeremy take the pic for us.
He is here! Everything went great and mommy and baby are doing great. Isaac Francisco was born at 8:37 AM. He tipped the scale at 6 lbs, 11 oz and is 20 1/4" long. His face is still too "new-bornish" to tell who he will look like. Right now he seems like a good mix of Jeremy and Jordan. We're not sure about the nose, though. He's already gone through a couple diapers and feedings with momma.
Well, we had a nice Thanksgiving at home planned out, and it's our family tradition the day after Thanksgiving to head to Elgin to chop down our Christmas tree, stop at Southside Market for some BBQ and then decorate. Not this year. Isaac decided he wants out now. We are at the hospital now. Holly is checked in and they are prepping her now.
Nothing at home is ready. Still have to put a mod on our crib because it is a recalled drop-side crib. Still have to finish up Isaac's room. Need to mow. Wanted to decorate. Send out Christmas cards. Still have a project at work to finish. Oh well, I've never been good at planning anyways. I can plan as far ahead as lunch, anything after that is Holly's deal.
So we are here at the hospital. Will update when there is more to update.
Another thing I wanted to do for a while now was post a video of the boys dancing. So while I'm here. I leave you with the boys dancing to one of their favorite cartoons. More after the break...
Did not know you could have a second baby shower, but Holly's friends threw another one for her. Turned out to be a really great blessing to our family. We got to hang out with friends new and old and they just selflessly gave so much. Didn't think we needed much, but since we gave a lot of stuff away after the boys (thought we couldn't have anymore kids), it turns out we did actually need stuff. Holly has already received lots of maternity clothes and little boys clothing (all sorts of sizes) from friends. So the gifts she got last weekend just made things so much easier. We can't say enough how grateful and how thankful we are for everyone and all their giving.
Isaac's shower was a "Rock-A-By Baby" theme. Really cool thing they did was bring a lot of plain white onesies (infant size and up) and then templates and paints to decorate it. The designs matched the rock n roll theme of the whole party. Some of the decorations were a bunch of inflatable electric guitars, cool right? There were a lot of kids at the party and they had a air guitar contest. They jammed out to "Another One Bites the Dust." They kind of just stood there for a while, but then Jack started to get into it and the jam dam was busted and they all started rockin' out. We really had a fantastic time with friends and family.
We've also been taken care of by friends and neighbors repeatedly with their used baby toys, clothes and food. We do not deserve to be taken care of so well.
It's coming down to the wire. Holly is getting pretty massive now. Isaac is done with most of his physical development and now just has to put on more weight. He is already taking after Daddy. I was wondering why updates have been so infrequent. We went for a 4-D sonogram in September and I am just now getting to post the video. Not sure if I've even posted any pics of Holly and Isaac yet. So you get pics and video now.
First off, let me just preface this by saying I am definitely not the final word when it comes to revealing the truths in the bible. I would love to hear what you think about the subject.
Why did Jesus need to be raised from the dead? This was a question I never thought to ask. When it popped up in my mind, I was saddened that I didn't have an explanation. I am blessed that God has allowed me to believe and I have no doubt in my mind that the gospel is true: Jesus came down to save us (while we were still sinners) by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. I am not much of talker, so I struggle to share the gospel with people. Even with my own family I'm at a loss for words when all I want to do is tell them how much God loves them. However, I try to practice in my head in case God ever moves me (pushes me, strongly) to share. All of a sudden I thought it was important to be able to explain why Jesus had to be raised from the dead.
So where did this question come from? We are studying the book of Romans in our missional community group. Quick side note. Been using this study guide (PDF link) and have really enjoyed it so far. About 8 units in, we were going through chapter 5 and I read the following verse:
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
I've been studying with my friend Gary and new friend and amazing teacher Floyd. We've been going throw 2 Timothy together and they have been showing me how to dig and look for God in His Word. So I'm focused on these two verses and start to think, "If we are justified and reconciled at the cross in Jesus' death...why did He have to be raised? What would be the difference if He hadn't been raised?"
Justified: to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation
Reconciled: to restore to friendship or HARMONY
If we were justified and reconciled at the cross, why did Jesus have come back to life? After the fall of man, we no longer lived in harmony with God. Once we are reconciled with Him, didn't that fix it? I brought the question up in our missional community. I'm blessed to be able to study with a group of people who know they are broken and are chasing after God and studying His Word. They shared verses with me and quotes from various authors, but I just couldn't grab a hold of it. I thought it all made sense to me before. This is the root of the gospel. We just heard a great sermon on Easter a couple months before this. It wasn't new...but all of a sudden there was doubt and I couldn't claim this truth for myself. There was no way I would be able to explain it to someone else who hadn't heard the gospel. I knew Jesus was raised to conquer death, but sin IS death. Wasn't that conquered on the cross? What was I missing? Once that doubt about why He had to be raised was planted, it kind of muddied up the whole picture for me and I couldn't stop thinking about it. The more I thought about it, the muddier it seemed to get. It was like waking from a really crazy dream. You wake up and know the dream you want to share, but by the time you talk to someone, what was once clear is now faded. You know you KNOW the story you want to tell, but it's foggy and you just can't remember what it was.
It was back at the end of May when we were in Romans chapter 5. All I had at this point was Jesus came back from the dead to prove He was who He said He was. Three and a half months later, I finally began to understand. I was going through 2 Timothy 2 to prepare for my Saturday morning study with Gary and Floyd. I got to verse 8:
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
Pretty simple truth I already knew: Jesus was a descendent of David and was raised from the dead. I almost breezed by this verse. For some reason this simple verse pulled me back to it and I decided to look in my study bible to see what notes, if any, it offered for this verse. God choose this morning to help me understand, and for the first time I had an idea of why Jesus had to come back to life. It wasn't just a verse I could repeat to others, it was a truth I understood. It was mine. I am still cautious, there is so much I don't understand and know, so I could have some of it wrong. What was finally revealed to me...
Jesus died for our sins and three days later was raised from the dead. When we believe and are baptized in His name, we die with Him on the cross and are raised to new life in Him. This wouldn't be possible if He wasn't divine. So yes, it was to prove His divinity, but it wasn't just to say, "See? Told you so." If He doesn't beat death and come back to life, there's no proof He is who He says He is. Without proof, then He is just a really good guy with outstanding morals, peace and love...like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mahatma Gandhi. And if that is the case, then He would not be a valid sacrifice for the world's sin. Any other man who would give his life up for the world is not a worthy sacrifice. He would only be receiving the punishment he justly deserved. It'd be like going to court, stepping up in front of the judge and saying, "Let ME pay for this speeding ticket!" when you are the person who was speeding and given the ticket to begin with. Not much of a sacrifice. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. In this small verse, that I almost passed by with barely a glance, are two very important truths:
Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, proving His divinity
Jesus was a descendant of David, proving His humanity, making Him a valid and worthy substitute for us to die on the cross in our place
These are my notes on verse 8 from my reading in 2 Timothy last Saturday, verse 7 rang true that morning:
2 Tim 2:7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
The boys have really taken off in the pool this summer. They had some swim lessons for 2 weeks in June. They learned some basics and really just got comfortable with the water. They have both come so far since last year. Last year we were looking at tantrums if someone got splashed in the face. Now the boys are diving in from the side, going underwater and swimming to us on their own. Here are some vids of whats gone on this summer...
Swimming Buddies
In the middle of July, we went up to visit our friends Brad and Kelly. There was a small sectioned off part of the pool that was perfect for the kids. It was too deep for them to stand, but there were seats all around and they just swam back and fourth. We didn't know it, but Jordan was developing a fever and was on the sideline for this video. This video is of Jeremy and Anna swimming back and fourth in the "kiddie" pool.
Water Slide
On August 11th, our church had a baptism party. The host had an incredible home that they opened up to the church and made everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. It was an awesome time. They had a water slide that was a little intimidating once you got to the top. I was pretty sure I could talk Jordan into sliding down with me. I didn't think I'd be able to talk Jeremy in to it, but he seemed excited to try. They both surprised me and slid down on their own.
Diving and Swimming
This vid is also from the baptism party and it is showing off Jeremy's diving and swimming skills. He takes a dive into the pool from the edge and swims a pretty long way to Mommy.
Jordan Dives Down
This one is from August 15th. Earlier that day I was cleaning up my study area and had some Star Wars toys on my desk. The boys were casually asking about them and gave them each a Storm Trooper. They brought them with us that evening when we went over to their Tia Cindy's pool. I put Jordan's Storm Trooper at the bottom of the pool in about 3.5 feet of water. I worked with Jordan only a few times trying to get him to swim down and retrieve it. The next time Holly gave him a little shove once he got head down and he swam down and got it. After that he was doing it all on his own.
World, meet Isaac. He just turned 25 weeks old last Monday and should be about 1 lb. and 9oz. A month ago (started a draft of this a month ago, just now getting to finish...no, i dont have ANY free time) Holly went in for a checkup and sonogram. We know we can call him Isaac because the sono revealed his dangly bits. Without further ado, we give you...Isaac.
Why Isaac? (Editor's note: Did not know there was going to end up as a mini-novel. Feel free to jump to the last paragraph for the Cliff Notes version.) It is a name that has always been around since we first started thinking about names for our kids. Jeremy was actually Isaac for a while. We had taken a trip to Oakland for a Raider game while Holly was preggers with the boys and we brought back Raider keychains with the names Jordan and Isaac. Somewhere along the way we switched to Jeremy and it now seems perfect. Back in April this year, Holly thought we should probably get a pregnancy test. A ridiculous thought, really. Our fertility specialist warned that after getting pregnant once, usually people who had problems have an easier time getting pregnant. However, in our case, she was confident on the "why" we couldn't conceive and had prepared us that it was pretty much impossible to conceive without jumping through all the hoops we did for the boys.
A side effect of all that hoop jumping was that after we had the boys, we still had 3 fertilize eggs frozen in carbonite. They were named Han Solo, Han Solo Jr. and Han Solo Junior. This unfortunately was something we never really thought of and hadn't fully prepared for. We were blessed with 2 healthy and amazing boys. It was perfect and were perfectly happy if they were all we ever had. On the flip side was, "uh, we still have 3 possible kids waiting." We didn't think we could raise that many kids...not just financially, but we didn't think we could possibly give each one all the attention they deserved. We wrestled with the idea of donating them and giving another couple suffering from inconceiveability™ a chance. At first it was hard, but we thought we could do it. When we finally started looking into it, there was no way we could sign the papers and let someone else raise our kids when we were capable of doing it ourselves. The biggest obstacle was putting their soul in the hands of a stranger and our kids possibly living their entire lives without ever hearing the gospel. We couldn't give them away.
We couldn't just leave them frozen forever either. We finally moved forward to have them thawed and then try to have another kid...or kids? We had been praying for the little zygotes, not knowing if they had souls yet, but hoping and trusting God that he was taking care of them if their souls were waiting on us. The closer we got to the implant date, the more excited we got. Our prayer was that God would make it easy for us and take all the decisions out of our hands. The possible scenarios we struggled with:
If each zygote looked great, we would only implant one and donate the others. We didn't have the money for all this and had one last chance to do this through our health insurance. So if there were still good zygotes left over, even though it is not what we wanted, we were going to have to donate the other zygotes. This was the worst case scenario for us.
The best scenario (according to us) was that only ONE zygote looked healthy and we could implant it and we would have one more child.
The last scenario, and second to worst, was that none of the zygotes made it and there would not be another child for us.
Well, the way it worked was a combination of all three. We went in on implant day and they prepared the zygotes. Only one of them survived the freezing and thawing process and looked perfect. It was perfect. Not perfect that two of them didn't survive, but that God took the decision out of our hands and we still had the chance of another child. Shortly after, on October 28th, we'd get the news that the implant did not take and Holly was not pregnant. It was a bitter sweet day. We thanked God for the chance we had and said good bye to the kids we could've possibly had, and also praised God for taking any decision out of our hands and very thankful we did not have to donate any.
Hang with me a sec, I'm getting to the part about why this kid is named Isaac...
Towards the end of March this year, 2011, the bluebonnets were in bloom. I saw a social network update from a friend of ours and pics they posted of the flowers in Old Settler's Park in Round Rock. I made plans to go there for some family pics the very next weekend. So Sunday came and we packed up the truck, brought the fishing poles too, figured we'd make a day of it. Plan was to stop at Subway for some sandwiches, take some pics, eat, fish and be merry. On the way out Holly casually mentions it has been a while since her last period. First thought in my mind was, "oh no." Not because I thought we could be pregnant, but because the memories of the previous 8 years of struggling with infertility month after month, and watching her heart break again and again, month after month, came flooding back. I had to stop it quick before she got her hopes up. I planned to stop at CVS on the way home for a pregnancy test. Once on the road, I realized I forgot fishing bait. So I said we'd be stopping at HEB real quick for a can of corn for bait. I told Holly to grab a pregnancy test while we were there and sent her in. It was just a bonus that I forgot to bring any fishing bait and she looked funny going through the checkout with a can of corn and a pregnancy test.
The day of pics, eating and fishing was a success. That was April 1, 2011. We got home that night and Holly took the pregnancy test. It turned positive right away. Best April Fool's prank ever. We had a good laugh about it. Holly called her doc and they made a 9 week appointment with us. After a few weeks, Holly thought she should probably call her specialist to give her the news, and they had us come in right away. She had a sono and they confirmed we were pregnant and gave us a December 4th due date. Our doctor was shocked and once again said this wasn't supposed to happen to us. It was supposed to be physically impossible for us. We also had the age factor against us...not exactly Abraham and Sarah old, but we're getting up there.
So why Isaac? Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Buttercup is marry' Humperdinck in little less than half an hour. (You read that with the accent, right?) We are nowhere near the age of Abraham and Sarah, but we are up there and it was physically impossible to have kids. We wanted to use the name Isaac earlier, but it just didn't seem right. Then we find out on April Fool's day that we are pregnant and have a good laugh over it. Isaac (Hewbrew yitschaq, laughter) just fit perfectly.
FYI...we are still working on a middle name. Think we got it, but we're still open to suggestions.
Holly is in her 20th week and for us, that meant a check up and a sonogram. More pics and video, maybe even a name, to follow soon. For now, the boys break the news about their new baby brother, or baby sister.
On a morning back in the 2nd half of October, I asked the boys what they wanted to do. They both voted for Target, big surprise. Jordan runs up to me and says "Mommy, what do you want to do today?" I said it was their day so I wanted to do whatever made them happy. He grabbed my face and made me look at him and said, "I'm talking to YOU mommy, what do YOU want to do today?" Slightly intimidated, I said, Target sounds fun. I was rewarded with a "Yea!" and a big hug and kiss.
The boys getting down with their slot cars. They got it for Christmas, but they had plenty of toys, so we held back for a while. We brought it out for them at the end of February when I was going to be gone for a few days to see my brother in San Diego. They didn't have much coordination in controlling the speed with the trigger. They've gotten pretty good at it now. Jeremy likes to hold his position on the bridge where the slot track narrows and the cars can collide.
Thanks to Deborah for the Dr.Seuss reference. A few weeks ago the boys took some swim lessons with their friends over in Pflugerville. It was 8 x 45 minute classes over 2 weeks. The boys did really well. We were a little concerned about how Jeremy would handle class. Usually, he doesn't do well in big crowds and shies away from everyone. If theres a new skill involved, typically Jordan jumps right in and picks it up while Jeremy says, "no, thanks." On hid own time, after he has seen his brother attempt said activity several times and live, then he will give it a shot. Once he tries it, he picks it up pretty quick and sometimes starts doing things better than Jordan.
We were par for the course when it came to swimming. Jordan was gung-ho and ready to go. Jeremy was a little timid. They both warmed up to their teacher real quick though and she had them splashing around and getting used to the water. Now the boys have a ton of confidence in the water compared to last year in the pool. Last summer Jeremy couldn't even get splashed in the face or there might be a meltdown. Now both boys are jumping in the pool without any assistance, just needing us there after the resurface. They can swim from the pool steps out to us, and then back. It is so much fun to see them kicking around and going under water. Hopefully by next season they'll be swimming all on their own.
And of course, we got tons of pictures from the swim lessons. You can check them out below or at our Shutterfly page.
The boys saw the first rainbow of their life today. Took them 3 years...no thanks to the drought! A little bunny was on our back patio and I pointed it out to the boys. They ran to the sliding glass door and of course the bunny ran off. Then Jeremy said, "There's a rainbow!" Jordan confirmed it, "Yeah, right there!" Off to the north east was a giant rainbow. Boys were so proud of their discovery and first real life rainbow.
Hot off the success of their first single, God Undefeatable (which was released this last January), Jeremy put on an impromptu solo show at a local Target. This unauthorized video was sent in by a fan who was also happened to be at Target...
What can I say? Twins, Church, family, friends, music, football...there is just not enough time in the day. So much to say. So many photos and videos to share. Not sure where to start, so I think I'll just share some text's that I've received from Holly about the boys.
Apr. 17, 2012 3:09PM - "I asked Jordan to help me decide where to plant the flowers. He said he would plant his in the dirt. He's super helpful :)"
Apr. 12, 2012 3:33PM - "Jeremy's car line up was messed up and I asked who did it and Jeremy said, "I did it, I got frustrated! It's ok." wow!"
Apr. 4, 2012 10:19AM (after the boys' 3 year check-up) - "Jordan height 39 3/4" (95%), weight 34.6lbs. (75%). Jeremy height 39 3/4"(95%), weight 37.2lbs. (90%)."
Apr. 5, 2012 12:18PM - "I'm on the patio drying off the boys feet so they can go in and Jeremy pees on my leg. Whattha."
Mar. 28, 2012 9:38AM - "Me: 'don't put things around your neck. Remember what daddy said.' Jordan: 'but daddy is not here.' :) Don't worry, I set him straight :D"
Last month the boys released their first music video. This month, they hit the big screen!
We took a trip downtown on Austin's Metro Rail. It was the boys first train ride. The Morales' invited us out and it was the perfect train ride. Hopped on at the Highland station and rode south to the Plaza Saltillo station. Got off there for lunch and ate at Nuevo Leon. After that we walked back to the station and caught the next train back. It was a very fun time out on the town with the kids. Shaky iPhone video, but you get the gist. Wish I had footage of the boys with Eli, but I took more photos than video
The new duo on the scene are the JAG Twins. Fraternal twin brothers, these little guys have taken the worship music scene by storm! The twins recently showed up in Austin, Texas and put on an announced performance. This is the live performance...
Seriously though, we took the boys to church last December for the CD release celebration of the Austin Stone Worship team. Holly and I were up in the front row for this and had the best time, tired arms and all, worshiping and holding our boys. The event was also streamed only and has been available online since then (see below). The boys have asked to watch it repeatedly and they know how to start playing the CD on the radio themselves. They hit play and keep replaying their favorite song, God Undefeatable, over and over again. Holly finally caught them on her iPhone. She caught one performance, then Jordan hitting the back button and then jammed to it again. Jeremy can worship like no one is watching...when no one is watching. As soon as he saw the phone, he hid behind the corner. Holly had to pretend like she wasn't recording and thats why sometimes its really shaky or the kids aren't in frame. Hope you enjoyed it.
As for the Austin Stone Worship team, they have samples of their music online. Along with tutorials on how to play the music and the theology behind each song. I'm pretty sure you want to go buy the album! Check the live performance from the release celebration:
