The Huckeba Family Journey: 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Monday, December 28, 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!!

We just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
We hope that all of you are happy and healthy and are enjoying your holidays with the ones you love!
God Bless Us Everyone!!
The Huckeba's

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!

Click to play this Smilebox greeting: JT and Santa

Make a Smilebox greeting

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

JT had his very 1st preschool Christmas program. He was so cute on the stage singing Christmas carols and doing all the hand motions! He wasn't shy or anything! He is such a little ham...don't know where he gets that from! Anyway, Scott, Sarah, Melissa and Grammie were able to come and watch his little performance, and he was so proud of himself! The kids were so cute and they did a great job! I think JT may have caught the showbiz/performance bug, and who wouldn't want to see that little cutie on the stage or screen...but maybe I'm biased? Anyhow, after the performance the kids took their families to their classroom to build gingerbread houses out of graham cracker, frosting and candies. This was not an easy task, but Sarah did a fabulous job making a cute little house, and I would post a pic, but alas, the house did not make it all the way home, guess it needed some more frosting to make it more sturdy, it did however taste yummy!

Here are a few pics of the performance, courtesy of Gram

mie's camera!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

We just want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Happy Birthday Cassidy!

Happy Birthday wishes to the sweetest girl we know!

Cassidy turns 8 today!!

Kelly said they are celebrating with a karaoke party for her and her girlfriends tonight at home ( with pink cupcakes, of course!!) and then family celebration later on this weekend!

We send our love and best wishes for the best birthday ever!

We love you!!!

(Cassidy with her friends at her party!)

Friday, October 30, 2009

Happy Birthday Scott!!!

Happy Birthday wishes to Scott, who turns 28 today! We hope this year is the best ever!Sarah and JT made Scott his favorite devil's food cake, and Joe brought home some pizza, and Sarah made Chicken Fettucini Alfredo and Melissa made Chicken Ravioli's...it was an Italian feast at the house. Uncle Eric , Aunt Melinda, and Uncle Robert all came over to celebrate with the birthday boy! JT helped his daddy blow out his 2 candles-because that's how old JT says Scott is! The weekend will be filled with fun and friends, including trick or treating for JT tomorrow, and will conclude on Sunday with dinner out for Scott's bday!

Monday, October 19, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARRETT!!

We want to wish a very Happy Birthday, to Garrett who turns the big 0-5 today!

Happy Birthday from your family in California, we love you!

Hopefully, we'll have a picture to post of the bday boy soon!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Have luggage will travel...

JT loves to play with all the luggage in the house. He wheels it from room to room and just loves to pretend like he is going on a trip, telling us that he's going to go in a big plane! So tonight he decided that it would be more fun to get into the luggage! Then he thought it would be funny if we wheeled him around the house, so Sarah wheeled him from room to room for a long time and he had sooo much fun! Guess you don't need a passport to travel!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Feel Better Mommy!!

Today JT helped Auntie Mel make some breakfast for his mommy. Both Sarah and Scott have come done with some kind of cold and aren't feeling so well. So, JT, who decided that it would be a great idea to wake up at 4am came and hung out in Auntie Mel's room. Around 6:30 am or so he pronounced, "sun's up Auntie Mel, get up", so it was time to begin the day! He wanted to be super-helpful so he made his mommy a get-well card, picked some flowers from the neighbors yard, helped pour orange juice, and make hot tea for his mommy and got her some vitamins and meds. He then wanted to take a picture with the tray he made for her. He walked into the room and yelled, " surprise mommy", it was the sweetest thing. He is going to be such a big help today!!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

ELMO

Just wanted to post a super cute pic of JT in his ELMO jammies!
We had a night with cool weather, so he was able to wear these before he outgrew them!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

It's Fall!!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sorry it took so long....

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Sarah's Bachelorette!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We finally were able to get some pics from Sarah's bachelorette party back in August.
Thought we'd post a smilebox to share some of the fun! Enjoy!!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Playgroup Project

Just had to post the cutest picture of JT and his little plant that he potted at playgroup today!

He was so proud and we snapped a few pictures and then we placed the pot in the window for some sunshine. Hopefully, the plant will bloom and we can take a pic of him and his little flower!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

You know there's trouble....

When you live in a house with a child, you get used to a certain amount of noise. Children by nature make lots of noise, just ask any mom or dad! But when the noise goes...you know somethings up, either the kid is sleeping, or not in the house, or...HE'S UP TO SOMETHING!!!

Well, on Saturday, JT was being his typical 2 year-old self, laughing, yelling, running, and carrying on, and then all of the sudden, it was quiet...a little TOO quiet!

We decided that we should go and see what was going on, and lo and behold, we walked into the kitchen and saw JT playing chef...he had taken the egg carton out of the fridge, gotten a bowl and a spoon, and sat himself on the floor. He then cracked the eggs into the bowl and was mixing it! We asked him what he was doing, and his response was, making eggs!

It's hard to be mad at something so precious, and the most amazing part of it all... he cracked those eggs into the bowl and didn't get any shell...now that's talent!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Sarah's Birthday!

Sarah's birthday was on Sunday 9/13/09.
Since JT wasn't feeling too hot ( he'd gotten the flu shot on Friday) it was decided that things would be a bit low-key for her birthday.Scott took her out for dinner on Saturday and then to see her favorite comic,Jay Mohr.Her actual birthday started out at home with JT giving Sarah the card her made for her and showing her the cupcakes that he and Auntie Mel made the night before! Then it was off to lunch at her mom's house,followed by dinner at our house, and dinner out with her dad and Clara on Monday.
Sarah loved the card JT made and he had sooo much fun making the cupcakes and he even did the frosting on them by using a ziploc bag to pipe it on!
All in all it was a great birthday weekend!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Happy Birthday Sarah!!!

We want to wish a great big Happy Birthday to Sarah!!
Hope this year is the best ever!!

We'll post pics of the festivities in the days to come!

Friday, September 11, 2009

We will never forget!

***Remember to say a prayer today for all those who died on 9/11 and their families!
**God Bless you and your family, and God bless the USA!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

It's Potty Time!!!

Today was a big day at our house!
JT, who for some time now has been showing signs of potty-training readiness, decided that he wanted to sit on his Elmo potty that Scott and Sarah bought for him a while back. He sat down in his diaper and proceeded to give himself stickers for sitting on the potty. Melissa decided to take off his diaper and let him sit there and see what would happen....and you know what, that little boy peed in the potty!Well, we were all excited and cheering for him and hugging him and he didn't want to get up so Sarah let him sit there a bit, and the next thing you know, he pooped in the potty! Wow!! We were so impressed, we were cheering for him like he just won the lotto or something, and he was soooo proud! We snapped a few pictures to commemorate the occasion. It's so cute, it's like he's potty training himself!
Way to go Bubba-Bear!!! We are so proud of you!!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Reception Photos!!!

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Huckeba Reception!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Wedding Pictures!!

Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook: Scott & Sarah's Wedding!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Introducing...Mr. & Mrs. Scott & Sarah Huckeba!!

Click to play this Smilebox greeting: Wedding Announcement

Make a Smilebox greeting

Our Family Update--2007-2008

Since it may have been awhile since we've had contact with some of you, we thought that we'd give a brief update on the last 16 months or so--Jan 2007-April 2008.
Jan 2007-New Year, a time of renewal and joy-1 year and 1 month since Grandma Sadie had passed.
Feb 2007-A month filled with love!
March 2007-Scott and his fiancee, Sarah find out that thebaby they are expecting is a boy!!
April 2007-Joe turned 63!! Scott and Sarah take the family up on the offer to come and live back home for a year or two, in order to save for a house!
May 2007-Mary turns 59! We began a slight remodel in order to make room for the happy family!
June 2007-Sarah has a babyshower given by Melissa. The house re-do is almost complete.
July 2007-4th of July, Sarah complains of bad cramping--braxton hicks, Scott and Sarah move in.
JULY 27TH--LITTLE JACOB THOMAS HUCKEBA IS BORN!
7.2 lbs, 21 inches long, at 1:44 pm@ Presbyterian Hospital in Whittier.
JT, is born with jaundice, but is sent home with bili lights...the next day we are told to rush to the ER his blood levels are deathly high, he is admitted to the NICU, they prepare us all for the worst! JT may not make it, he may be brain damaged, they want to do a massive double blood transfussion...they are searching for blood...10 days later, he is released, doing much better and thriving wonderfully!! God answers prayers, everyone is amazed!!
August 2007-JT comes home from the NICU!!
September 2007-Sarah turns 27. Mary begins to feel tired and weak, we begin doctor's visits to find out why!
Oct 2007-Scott turns 26. They have found some enlarged lymph nodes in Mary's abdomen, she is admitted to the hospital for tests...she is getting weaker.
Nov 2007-1st Thanksgiving with JT. Mary is still ill, but still tries to remain hopeful, it looks like some kind of cancer, but all the tests come back inconclusive! Still, little JT is the delight of his Grandma Mary's life!!2 more hospital visits, and a trip to a Pasasena Oncologist to determine if it's some kind of gynecological cancer...good news, it's not, but we are still uncertain of what type of lymphoma this may be!
Dec 2007--Back and forth to specialists...still no answer, Mary is all but bed-bound, we work tirelessly to find some explanantion for all this..we pray constantly for peace and understanding.Dec 19th, Melissa turns 3o, we celebrate with cake in bed with Mary.
Dec 21st--Today is a big day, we are to get some tests to figure out what is going on. Joe and Melissa drive with Mary to Pasadena, but while getting ready in the bathroom at the testing center, Mary passes out...the paramedics are called, she is transported across the street to Huntington Memorial Hospital...they prepare us for the worst, she has been vomiting blood in the ER. We call all the family together..we are devastated...we wait on word...they put her on a ventilator and move her to CCU...it's a strange world up there, monitors and machines...we are frightened..we stay until 1am, they tell us to go home and rest for the long day ahead tomorrow...they are going to try and extubate...this will tell us how weak or strong her body is.
Dec 22--They take out the tube she is wide awake...says she felt like Alice in Wonderland...like the Rabbit popping up out of the hole!! We are happy she is starting to stabilize...the doctors are amazed! More tests...her blood is still behaving badly, as it had all the times before...they are puzzled..calling specialists from City of Hope!
Dec 23-25-We spend the holidays at the hospital...all the family is here...Aunt Ruby flew in from Tampa...we take turns spending the night. She feels bad that she "ruined" Christmas, we tell her she didn't, we just want to be with her! More tests, they want to do a biopsy, but they must get the blood count high enough...more blood is given...
The next few days all blur together, but finally they get the blood up enough to do the biopsy...death is a real possibilty, we move forward, she wants to know what is going on inside! We brace ourselves for the surgery...they call from the OR, she is doing better than expected...no bleeding, they got the sample they need, an answer will come soon! Early the next morning Melissa and cousin Marissa are with Mary, a seizure begins...we summon for help, it stops, they get a CT, no brain bleed visible...they are concerned about the sudden seizure...everyone rushed to the hospital about 4 am.
We are told they can't do anything else, since they still don't know what's going on, and even if they did know she is too weak for treatment, and the kidneys have begun to go...we have a decision, lots of tests and pain and suffering, or to let God take care of her..we opt for peace and no pain..she hates pain! She is in and out of it...we are all there, we talk to her and sing to her...they move us out of CCU, to the hospice wing... it's a round the clock vigil, they give her meds for pain, she has none, and she is just peacefully sleeping....it take days...we 2nd guess our aproach, it's just our pain talking though, we know that this is the best for her, and it's what she would have wanted...we wait...
New Year's Eve 2007- we spend it in the hospice wing, she is sleeping, I think to myself about how much she loves the Rose Parade...we are a mere 2 blocks from the parade site...she hangs on...we take turns getting a few hours of sleep...
Jan 1st 2008--At 5:51 am, we are there when Mary leaves this world and enters into the presence of God...I imagine Jesus saying to her, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter now in to the joy of the Lord!! We are inconsolable...our angel here on Earth has left us and we are lost...but we have hope in Jesus!! We take care of all the hospital stuff and leave the hospital...there is much to do...we drive past the parade route...I think to myself, she has the best seat in the house now!
Jan 2008--We have a rosary for Mary, and the funeral the next day...it was raining...but stopped that morning to give us beautiful sunshine, and a rainbow.....Mary is buried at Rose Hills in Whittier, Ca.
Jan 2008- The rest of Januray finds us all trying to come to terms with all of this, Joe has taken time off work, Sarah has resigned from work to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, Mary was going to care for JT, but that was not to be...Scott has gone back to work, but is still terribly sad...Melissa, who left her full-time job, to get a part-time job in order to help care for Mary, is beside herself with grief...only the love and smiles of her baby nephew fill the void. Mary's mom and family try to find a way to come to terms with all of this...we lean on God for support and comfort.
Feb 2008-Scott leaves Downey Savings after 7 years...while between jobs he stays at home with Sarah and JT , the family bonds!!
March 2008--Scott begins a job with Interbusiness bank, an international bank, he work in Alhambra.
April 2008--Joe turns 64!! We are spending our time bonding as a family and watching little JT grow and change each day!!
That's the sum up, until now...lots has happened, but our faith in God and family has sustained us along this weary road.
We hope that you will continue to check in with us and see where this year 2008 leads us!!
Below you will find some pictures to show you a few highlights of the past year!!