Already a winner!!!

I have been waiting to make this post for quite sometime, because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God would see us through this storm.  Last summer, the enemy attacked my family, my finances and my daughter's health with a vengeance. Things looked really bad for us in the natural, but all of my responses and thoughts remained in the supernatural. Just as I started working a new job, that I really enjoyed, my husband lost his job of over 14 years. My first thought was well God must have something better in store for you. And I believed that his next chapter would be great. In the far too recent past I would have broken down wondering what we were going to do, but for  some reason I initially had peace about the whole situation.

Then while driving home from work about a month later, August 23rd to be exact, I called home to ask my husband to get my youngest daughter ready because it was back to school night for kindergarten. I could hear the frustration in his voice as he explained that he had no time to do that because he had food on the stove and my oldest daughter had just hurt her leg. After I hung up, something told me to call back. Not only had my daughter hurt her leg, but she couldn't even walk on it. In fact he had to carry her downstairs. A brief moment of panic set in because I knew that she must really be hurt if all of that was taking place.

At the after hours clinic the doctor told us my daughter not only had a broken leg, but that it may be a cancerous tumor at the heart of it. I whispered under my breath "the devil is a liar."  When he walked out I said then and there to my husband that the word cancer was not allowed in our lives or our home, and we never used it throughout  the whole ordeal.

We were immediately referred to Dell Children's but the oncologist couldn't see us until the following Tuesday, it was only Thursday night. So we had to make it through the weekend with no real answers. The crazy part is she had just had her 10 year old well check 4 days earlier with no issues. We only made 4 phone calls, both of our mothers and two prayer warriors.

As I sat on my bed, the silence was loud and one lone tear rolled down my face. That is when I knew all was well, because for the months leading up to the day, I knew God had been preparing me for something big. I expected that it was the job loss, but  that didn't really upset me and sure didn't cry about it. Disappointed, sure, but that was it. My husband came to me and said "All we know for sure is that her leg is broken, we can't stress over anything until we have all the details."

 I agreed with him and after that all hell really  broke loose. Not for me, but for him, the enemy. You see for those of you who really know me, you know that you can come at me sideways 2, 3 maybe even 4 times and I will let you make, but the eventually you will get that response, that nobody wants to see. Well, when it comes to my children, you don't get 1/2 a chance to mess with them, before you see the true meaning of crazy. So I prepared myself for warfare and it was on. 

I declared that my daughter would live and not die, but declare the works of the Lord. Every day we prayed over her, and rubbed blessed oil given to us by our pastor on her leg and spoke healing into her life. It was a very long road because at times she was in so much pain it brought her to tears if we touched her just to try to move her or dress her. This is the same child that was considered healthy just days before. The happiest child in the world was now moody, depressed and frustrated. That was the toughest part, BUT God arranged it where her daddy was home to help her everyday(hallelujah).

I just kept declaring that the devil could not have my baby. My daughter went on to have surgery and the oncologist was able to rule out cancer, but diagnosed her with fibrous displaysia(bones breaks down and is replaced by weaker fibrous tissue).
So in my house I teach my daughter that You don't have FD, it has you, because when something has you, there is a means for escape and you don't have to be bound by it. I teach her that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and you have to speak your future into existence. I teach her that she is more than a conqueror in many ways.

On Saturday May 4th, Miss Trinity will be running, yes running, in her first track meet since all of this has happened. Praise God!!! She has come out of this stronger and wiser and on Saturday before she even takes a lane on the track, she will have already won the gold in my eyes. My girl is a fighter and I am honored that the Lord blessed me with his precious child.

I didn't disclose all of this for your sympathy, I did so to offer you hope and to tell you that don't expect to come out of the break the same way you were before it happened. Trust that God has something BIGGER and BETTER with your name on it.

All Hail The T!!!!!

So today my baby girl officially becomes a big girl. She is 5 years old and very proud to be. I love her more than I could ever imagine, and she keeps me on my toes. As a parent, my first thoughts on either of my children's birthday goes back to their day of birth.

Tristan was overdue, so after a little help she came into the world on a Friday afternoon, with the biggest frown on her face and eyes wide open. At times, that personality still shows up, but all and all she has a big heart and a big smile.

It took 2 1/2 years to get her here, and that was truly a time when faith and patience came in to play. I used to confess over my body every day, that it would function as it was designed by God. Even through all of the pain and disappointment of those days, weeks, and months, I knew God had a greater plan for us, and boy did He.

Tristan reads far beyond her age requirement, understands math concepts and so much more. She uses big words, better than some adults and knows what she means when she says them. She loves to learn about any and everything. God has entrusted us with a precious gift and I am proud to say I am her mother.

So Happy 5th Birthday baby girl, or as she calls herself "The T."

Is your all on the altar??

The pressure of everything was finally coming to a head, when I chose to just let the chips fall where they may, including myself on the altar, because I couldn't feel the power. Although I had seemingly given up, God had not given up on me. He had something more in mind. He hadn't left me, I had to try harder(diligently) to seek Him.
The moment I chose to give up and walk away, was the very moment I was caught up by one who had more than enough faith for the both of us.
Oh the difference a day makes. Just like that I can see things a little more clearer than the day before. I can hear that inner voice that I am so used too, gently speaking to my spirit. The power of God is real, even when things get so cloudy, we need only to stop and seek Him.
So the storm won the first round(past few months), but the fight ain't over. I am here to go another round and I am shouting I shall live and not die, and declare the works of the Lord!!!

Force of habit!!

I have been up for the past few hours wondering what to do with myself. For the past 8 years, I have instictively popped up early on this day so that I can put all the final touches on my daughter's birthday bash. Well this year, like so many before, I am up but with nothing to do. This year my big girl is only inviting 3 friends to have lunch and then go swimming. Wow! what a change from the past.

We have hosted diva parties, pop star parties, had swimming soirees at every local dive you can think of, including Schitterbahn, but today a quiet house. So since I am up, I have used this quiet time to reflect and thank God for the many blessings we have experienced since having Trinity in our lives. I am so thankful that He has intrusted me with her.

BUT old habits do die hard, so I still made goodie bags filled with flip flops, floaties, candy, snacks, stampers with a gem handle, water tied with ribbon and kool aid packets and twisty straws hang from them. I couldn't help myself. What? she's still my baby. ;-)

Remember me?

Once upon a time, there was a girl with a dream....skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirk! No time for fairy tales. Life has been rolling by with no sign of slowing down. It has been almost a year since I have posted, and I miss writing.

My girls are growing by leaps and bounds, so I am having to remember to take it all in. My 8year old is truly coming into her own. She is bright and funny, and each day brings something new with her. Science is her favorite subject and she even named her fish after constellations. As a matter of fact she said, "of course they have to be named after something to do with space."

My wild and rowdy three year old, brings drama and chaos to any given situation, but I could not imagine life without her. Since I have been back to work, I have missed so many things in her day. Last week when she wrote f-h-j on a piece of paper and said, "Look mommy this word says fudge...[fuhj]." As she sounded it out phonetically, I was in awe and a little sad all at the same time. The sadness was fleeting, but I was so proud of her. Now, that I am aware she wants to write for me almost everyday. I love it.

There has been lots of transition in our lives, but I can only say we are the better for it(even on days that it is hard to see the good). I have always had faith in God and I believe the best is yet to come.

Until next time, be blessed.

Confession

My name is Ursula and I am addicted to Facebook. I love to blog, but over the last several months I have neglected it for the short quick posts of FB! Today I am ready to break that cycle and get back on task. Let's see, where shall I start.

We had a fabulous summer. Every time we tried to plan some form of family vacation it kept falling through so we soon realized that everyone should plan their own "stay-cations" and that worked out well for all three families involved. The girls spent lots of time swimming and playing outside. We saw lots of family members and friends and just had fun.

My first born turned 7, so we celebrated with a trip to Schlitterbahn and a tea party with some friends. She was in heaven. She is now in second grade. She loves school and loves to tell us what "she knows." The funny thing is she is amazed that we know it too. We never tire of laughing at that. She often asks my husband and I "are you sure?" Hey we have been out of school for a while, but there is still a little knowledge left upstairs. :-)

The two year old potty trained over the summer and it was really hard at first, because she was literally going about every 15 minutes. Some days my husband and I would ask each other, whose turn is it to help now. She has done really well and we are proud. She also loves to sing now, which is absolutely awesome. We hear Twinkle Twinkle Little Star about 5 times a day. She is also learning to spell her name, but she combines the Alphabet song with it. T R I S T-UVWXYZ. Now technically she isn't wrong because S T U is the order of the alphabet, but that doesn't spell her name. I still love to hear it though.

My husband, Chef Boudreaux or Cookie Man, as he is affectionately known at church has been really busy. He is still full time at IBM, but his wonderful hobby of cooking has him just as busy. I am so proud of him for following his dreams.

Although I have been MIA I have posted information about the book on Facebook and even started a fan page. I have to admit I took advantage of the summers days with the girls, so I am having to hit it pretty hard now to make up for lost time. No problem though.

Being a wife and mom is awesome, but I realized I was neglecting myself, so when school started this year I started a daily bike ride. I use that time to pray and just clear my mind. I am loving the time to myself, it also is making a difference in the way my clothes fit too. Yahoo!!!!
But seriously I encourage all parents to do something for yourselves, it is amazing. I purposely pass by my daughter's school on my bike route, that way I can pray for each child, teacher, and other staff in the building. It is always good to lift up others in your prayer life.

Well I plan to be more faithful to my blog and show up with a post a lot more often. I might even post a pick or two. Be blessed!

Too much love?

So tonight my sister-in-love and I had a lukewarm disagreement. We were both passionate about our position and both very adamant about getting our point across. Neither of us were ready to back down and both of us "just knew" we were right. What caused all this hoopla? Quite simply, the love of a child.

Sometimes life can put you in such a tailspin, that no matter how much you care about someone, you have to agree to disagree and move forward. What were we arguing about? It really doesn't matter, but what does matter is that when two people are trying to reach the same goal, in two very different ways, there is bound to be some friction.

We are both striving to be excellent moms, but with two different approaches. One thing we do have in common is no matter what the kids will all have love and respect for God (and family). Both of us were fueled by the challenges that life has presented us from the past 24hours to the last 6months to a year or so. My point is, we will continue to go on living and loving each other as we have forever. We were on two different paths when we first met, but that didn't stop us from bonding then either.

To think there are children out there who just want to be loved, in this family it is overflowing and sometimes the cup runneth over.

For the Children

So how do you begin a post about such a controversial individual? The music industry has lost a talented icon, while 3 little children have lost a father. I can't explain the emotion that I feel, but the faces (sometimes disguised) of the children continue to cross my mind.

I understand that there were those out there who despised the very ground that he moon-walked on, but the media has no regard for the pain that his children may be in right now. I just happened to catch a news story about a week and a half ago where he was out with his children and for a change they were unveiled. I immediately thought maybe these kids have a chance at normalcy.


Regardless of which side you fall on Guilty/Innocent, it is a life lost, with a tragic ending to go with it. I am not asking anyone to change their mind, but as a parent, please pray for the children of MJ.

Barnes and Noble is today...to be continued

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/author-events/Ursula-Wade-Boudreaux/2095481

Summer

Well school is out and the girls are full of energy. We successfully finished the Spring season of soccer, which was quite an adventure because my husband coached the 6 year old's team, and they were busy. She played really well and he was really proud(me too). She is on her way to second grade, and has big plans to run a lemonade stand on Saturday mornings this summer. As we speak she is working on a picture of the model stand. It's actually quite creative.

The 2 year old is running around trying to do everything her big sister does, including jumping from the wall into the swimming pool. When we first got there she didn't even want to get in, then 10 minutes later she was all over the pool in chest deep water. I am amazed at how fast she is growing and how fiercely independent she tries to be. She asks, "What you do-an (doing)?" at least 10 times and hour, even if she knows. She also rides a mean tricycle.

For the month of June we have a laundry list of birthdays and parties, husband, 2 brothers, niece, god-daughter, 3 friends, lions, tigers, bears, oh my! Needless to say I haven't had much time to make plans for myself.

However, I am very proud to say that I will be at Barnes and Noble in La Frontera on the 27th of this month, so I am more than excited. The book signings have turned out to be an awesome way to meet people whose path I would probably not have crossed. The phrase everybody has a story is so true. So many people openly share stories about their faith as soon as they find out the story is faith based.

Stay tuned throughout the next few weeks, I plan to post more and include pictures from some of the signings. Have a safe and blessed summer!

Caught off guard!

It was a really busy weekend for the Boudreaux family with 2 soccer games for the six year old, a play date and two book signings. Oh I forgot to mention the two year old was having a major health challenge. Well we pulled it all off with the help of family and friends. It was truly a lot of creative juggling going on.

On Saturday I was at Hastings and the end of my signing the manager offered to put my book on an end-cap display. I wanted to run allover the store doing cartwheels, in my high heels. Instead I calmly mentioned that I would love that and I appreciated his support.

The real shocker took place on Sunday. My husband and the six year old went with me to the church where I was scheduled to speak and when my time came the pastor invited all three of us up there to stand together. So as I was speaking, I became overwhelmed with emotion as if I was about to cry. I had to pause, because this truly caught me off guard. I realized in that moment how God was using me as a vessel for His works.

I quickly regained composure, but the joy I felt(and still feel as I write this) was unexplainable. The church was so warm and friendly, I truly enjoyed the experience. Well everybody have a blessed week and take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Rites of Passage

The six year old is growing up so fast and coming into her own. She is getting so tall and has a beautiful free spirit about her, so much so that I am often in awe. We talk about so much on a daily basis that sometimes my husband just looks at me because he knows when I am fighting back tears. He gently reminds me that she is just growing up.

Last Friday we decided to let her get her first relaxer aka perm or chemically straightened. It is so cute, she looks like such a big girl. A true right of passage. Stick with me, I am taking the long way around to get to the point. Well after talking about how much she is growing and all we tell her it's time to part with the booster seat in the truck. Get this! She doesn't want too.

Underneath this big girl exterior lies my beautiful baby girl. On one hand I want to say, "Girl get out of that seat!" Then on the other hand I want her to feel comfortable in making her own decision when it comes to this. She has said before that she doesn't feel safe without it. However that was about 4 months ago, when she was significantly smaller.

The joys of motherhood. Letting them grow up is so hard, but it is so awesome to see it happen. I thank God that he picked her for me.

Learning to take a compliment...again.

Since the beginning of time, or at least my time, I have never had trouble accepting compliments. At least not according to my mom, who used to say I fished for them. Well something has happened along the way. I found myself surprised at the last two book signings when people piled on the kudos.

Why? I don't know. That has never been an issue for me, but as I survey the past few months I see a pattern. Well...timeout for that. I have worked hard, stayed up late, gotten up early, neglected friends and made all around sacrifices to make this book happen. I am so proud to say that today I am learning to take compliments in style.

No this is not where the "big headed-ness" starts, but I do believe in self fulfilling prophecy. If I tear myself down, nobody else has to do it for me. This has been such a wonderful journey and I want my daily life to reflect that too.

March came and went...

The month of March has passed me by and I have barely made any posts. I went from having too much time on my hands to being rather busy.

One of the sweetest and awe inspiring things that happened was watching the power of God at work with my child. On fifth Sunday's we don't have children's church, so they come inside the main sanctuary with us. Well toward the end of the sermon the pastor makes 4 appeals to the congregation...as I briefly opened my eyes I saw the six year old put her hand up for the first appeal(to receive salvation). Initially I thought what is she doing? And then she put her hand up for the third appeal(to be filled with the Holy Spirit).

By this time I knew she knew exactly what she was doing. I went up with her and she boldly stood there before the pastor to stake her claim. I was so emotional that the tears instantly started to flow. Which also set off the six year old's water works, but she showed extreme bravery and spiritual maturity that seemed beyond her age. God is good!!!!!!!!!!!

I also had my first book signing this past weekend in San Marcos. It was great. I was a little nervous at first but I was able to shake it off. My husband walked around the bookstore trying to corral customers, I was so proud. I had fun, it was truly a learning experience and I feel better prepared for the next few signings.

Georgetown, Texas has an event call Market Days on the second Saturday of each month where vendors set up their booths and sell different crafts and food items. I will be at the Hill Country bookstore, so bring out the whole family for food, fun, and books.

Mark your calendars!

Big things are happening. First, the baby officially crossed over into the toddler realm, she is now two years old. It was a bittersweet weekend, because although I am so happy that she is becoming a big girl I couldn't help but reminisce on her birth two years ago. She came in kicking and screaming, and not much has changed to this day.

We had a small intimate gathering, which is a change from how we normally do parties. Just a couple of family members and a very windy day at the park. She was very happy and so were her parents.

Also I have received a list for book signing dates and locations. Keep a look out for that posting and come out to any or all of the signings. I truly appreciate all of the support.

Just Breathe

I have waited all my life for this moment to arrive...

Tomorrow, February 10, 2009 my book will be available to everyone. All the websites that have it listed will be authorized to sell it. All the stores who choose to carry it, will have it in stock. If you see someone who doesn't know anything about the book, tomorrow will be a good day to tell them. Lord you are good!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I am shouting that.

I am brimming with joy, excitement, anticipation, thanksgiving, reverence, appreciation, hope, and most of all a renewed faith. I can't praise HIM enough right now.

I appreciate my Senior pastor for always teaching us to strive for prosperity not only for finances, but most importantly EVERY area of our lives. My local pastor, for always telling us to follow our dreams, and confess our faith. I would love to say I am their biggest cheerleaders, but I know there are hundreds of other church members who believe they are too.

I am thankful to my husband for being patient as I pursue this dream. I am thankful for my parents unconditional love and encouragement. Oh Jesus, you are awesome.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yVXaw8yufY

Royalty Check

Woo hoo! I received my first royalty check. It was a great feeling and it made me feel as if the first level of this journey is complete. Time to move on to the next. The official countdown for the release date is on, we are merely days away.

I have to bring as much awareness to the public as possible. I spent much of last week doing just that. Making contacts, doing mass mail outs, I even got the manager at a local Chic-fil-a restaurant to put my bookmarks in the kids meal bags. WOW!!!

Next weekend I will be at a black history month celebration in my hometown. My husband and I will have a booth, where he will serve his delicious gumbo and teacakes, and I will sign books. We are both really excited about branching out with the business.

Feel free to encourage someone new to read the blog and share their thoughts about the book. Thank you to everyone who has already bought it and continues to give me your thoughts about all of it.

Bye Bye Pap-Pie!!!

After many unsuccessful attempts to get rid of the one year old's pacifier aka Pap-pie, which is the beloved name she gave it, we have achieved success. I used to always wonder why people would allow kids who were 2 and 3 years old to walk around with a pacifier, now I know.

Pa-pie was truly a life saver, for both of us. It was like it had magical powers. This thing could stop any tantrum and make any sized bo-bo all better instantly. Any time she was fighting sleep, just give it to her and after a couple of suckles she would nearly be in a coma.

My six year old used her "paci" for a couple of months, mostly when she was teething and then she was done. So imagine my surprise to have another child who is so attached to her pacifier that she would even pass up a meal if she had to make a choice. Also the six year old would only use this new pink vanilla scented paci that was over $5 each at the time. That's the price of a two pack for other brands.

Well this time we are officially done because I threw all of them in the trash, so there would be no temptation to give in. She has asked for Pa-pie a couple of times, but she is easily distracted with 2 Skittles. She is on her way to big girl status...if we could just master the potty.

Enjoy these candid shots of the good times with Pap-pie...

At the Christmas parade...

In the carseat...

At the soccer game...

In the toy room...

Grandma turns 65 and Pap-pie was there...

Halloween festival at the Fellowship...

On the back deck...

Me and Pap-pie playing the bongos at Bongos in Downtown Disney...

Pap-pie on the "It's a small world" ride at Disney...

Me and Pap-pie at the seawall in Galveston...

First day home from the hospital. A nap in the beanbag with Sissy and Pap-pie is perfect.

First real bath and Pap-pie was there.

Situation Critical...

How did we come to this? One day we were sitting on the couch hand in hand, or should I say finger to keyboard and the next thing I know, the momentary bliss was gone. I got an ugly message that said files were being dumped and warning messages started flashing before my eyes.

Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!!! My laptop died and I feel like my right arm is missing. Gosh! When did we become a society that can't function without certain electronics? Better yet, when did I become that person? It's not like we don't have a desktop to take up the slack, but I have gotten so used to curling up in any given location in the house, with the laptop. @%@%^@%@$!#$$$^*!^Q*(%(!$(!%% That's me trying not to scream, I am losing it without lappie. Yes I just made that up.

As one of my husband's fellow techies looked it over, he asked did I drop it, because there is damage to the hard drive. My instant response was of course not. Then later that night I remembered seeing two little feet using it as a step stool to get on the couch one day. I know. I know, why was it on the floor to begin with? That's another story.

Back to electronics...Last week my cell phone, smart-phone by societies standards, lost it's charge. Well I didn't know where it was and I spent a whole day looking for it. Usually if I misplace it I will just call it from the house phone and problem solved. Not this day. After an all day search, I found it was under a piece of paper right on the breezeway table. What happened to the days of the big, clunky car phones with the cord? I would never lose that.

Am I becoming the angry blogger? No I just gotta shake off a few minor mishaps. In the meantime, remember be nice, praise God, and while you are at it ask him to keep my sanity intact and may the cost of repair be affordable. Have a good day.

OMG! OMG!

I received an email today from Amazon.com about some toys that were on sale, so as I get to the website to browse, I blindly typed in my own name. Wait, wait, wait! Let me explain why. I do this at google.com every once in a while to make sure the info about the blog and the book are still in the top few listings. Anyway, for today, I guess this odd-habit has paid off.

Well evidently the Publishers listed the info prior to sharing the word with me, so when I saw the book information listed I almost threw the one year old off my lap. Hold on!Don't call CPS yet, because I quickly came to my senses. She is safe. Then I put her down because the excitement continued.

I am also listed at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Target's websites. I will keep you posted for the others to come. It is only available for pre-order, but the point is my message is out there. Thank you one and all for your support. Thank you Lord!

http://www.amazon.com/Micahs-Baby-Brother-Ursula-Boudreaux/dp/1606045997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231437001&sr=1-1

http://www.target.com/dp/1606045997/sr=1-1/qid=1231435304/ref=sr_1_1/186-1582867-0830735?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Aursula%20wade%20boudreaux&page=1

http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=ursula+wade+boudreaux

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?type=1&catalogId=10001&simple=1&defaultSearchView=List&keyword=micah%27s+baby+brother&LogData=%5Bsearch%3A+158%2Cparse%3A+163%5D&searchData=%7BproductId%3Anull%2Csku%3Anull%2Ctype%3A1%2Csort%3Anull%2CcurrPage%3A1%2CresultsPerPage%3A25%2CsimpleSearch%3Atrue%2Cnavigation%3A5185%2CmoreValue%3Anull%2CcoverView%3Afalse%2Curl%3Arpp%3D25%26view%3D2%26type%3D1%26nav%3D5185%26simple%3Dtrue%26book_search%3Dmicah%2527s%2Bbaby%2Bbrother%2Cterms%3A%7Bbook_search%3Dmicah%27s+baby+brother%7D%7D&storeId=13551&sku=1606045997&ddkey=http:SearchResults