Spidermen

These two were pretty crazy. They have to stick together being the only boys in the family! 

Great Grandma

Great Grandma Hildegarde had her hands full for awhile! 

(She can handle it, she had twins!)

Birthdays

Yesterday we drove down to Aunt Trina and Uncle Garrick's for Aaron and Alexa's combined birthday party. Alexa turned 3 in February and Aaron will be 6 in a couple days. 

As always our kids had a blast with their cousins. 

And we got the exciting news that Aunt Kylie and Uncle Justin will be adding another cousin to the bunch in September! 

Alexa was not really appreciating it when we sang 'happy birthday'  to them! 

 

Aaron, however loved it! 

Did I mention it was a costume party? 

Curls

Lauren and Avery have been having a lot of fun putting rollers in their hair at night after bath. 

Avery's already curly hair gets VERY curly and holds the extra bounce for days. Lauren's straight, thick, heavy hair looks so pretty for about 1/2 day and then holds some nice wave. 

The first night we did this all I could think of were the nights I used to sleep with rollers in my hair and how I thought I'd be transformed into a princess by morning. So fun! 

From the back. Lauren's looked perfect, Avery's needed a little straightening with water and my fingers! 

From the front...this was right after I took the rollers out, Avery's hair was out of control curly!

after bath...

Saturday morning

Is there anything better than a Saturday morning? 

sleeping in

making a big breakfast together

staying in your pjs until noon? 

Love it. 

safe

Sullivan's favorite toys are probably his trains...unfortunately for him, they are also favorites of a certain almost 9 month old who shall remain nameless. 

Daddy found a solution today at lunch and set up Sully's tracks with him on the dining room table...its not quite wide enough to accommodate all the pieces but Sully was satisfied that his trains were 'safe'. 

(and again with that painful smile!)

Thankful Thursday

I'm following Jody's "Thankful Thursday" idea...

Today I am most thankful for my mom.  She was a great mom to us growing up. She let us have fun but had rules and we had responsibility too. She let 6 boys be rowdy boys and some how brought me up as a girl in the midst of it. She had us ALL on her own a lot as my dad traveled a lot due to his work. She was REALLY good at dropping her own plans and sitting down to play with us and spend time with us. She lived for us. 

She made it clear at all times that her strength always came from above. We saw her pray, and study His word. We knew without a doubt that her faith was real. 

Early on I adopted her life verse as my own, Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God..."

She did that like no one else I've ever known. She had the patience to wait on Him and not worry. The courage to give Him her worries and truly let them go. Something I wish I had. 

Today she continues to teach us and show her faith. She helps me on a daily basis...Im not sure I could have become a mother 4 times if it weren't for knowing she was there to help me! 

One of my biggest blessings is that my children call her "Mamaw." I know she is teaching and modeling to them the same lessons she taught to me and my brothers. 

Thank you mom...so thankful for you tonight. 

My family

Sully was so proud of this photo he drew of his 'family'. I thought it was pretty good too!

And this charming smile is what he does when I try to take his picture. ugh.

oh no

Last night Tess learned to climb the stairs. Today she is pulling herself up to the footstool, the couch, the craft table. 

Oh my, we are heading into a new era with her. 

And I just got used to her crawling all over the house! 

Also, check out that crazy hair! 

Miss Contessa

This little miss is loving the spring weather. She likes to be outside just as much as her siblings. She loves it when they take her on stroller rides around our block and completely enjoyed her first real trip to the park! 

Here she is saying, 'uh-oh' about something or another!

Jam Session

I wonder if Melanie and I are going to have to deal with garage band practices at our homes in about about 14ish years?!

Monday

Our sermon this past Sunday was on prayer. Specifically how we pray. Do we pray with a full trust that our Heavenly Father CAN and WILL answer those prayers? Or do we mutter up our prayers and then run around trying to make things go the way we want ‘just in case’ He doesn’t come through this time?

I am guilty of that on many occasions. I pray for things and then I worry. Or I try to change the outcomes of things by my actions…never waiting to hear what God has to say on the matter.

God must think, “You just prayed for that 2 hours ago, and what are you doing now? Your actions are showing me that you have no faith in my ability to provide for you.”

Pastor was using Ephesians 3 as his text. He actually preached on verses 14-21 but the part that hit home with me was verse 19. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”

Exceeding abundantly…not just abundantly, and not just exceedingly above what I ask, but exceeding abundantly! Dont you just love those words...

I am also guilty of reading the bible and questioning the disciples. Wondering, “How can you be so blind? Do you have no faith? You are walking with the Savior of the world, you’ve witnessed his miracles and listened to His teachings…and yet you doubt that He can solve whatever the current problem before you may be?”

But when I look at my life, I see. Hasn’t God performed miracles in my life? Yes, He has, on a number of times He has answered prayers that seemed impossible. I’ve seen Him save my mother from a heart attack and surgery that the doctors told us was hopeless, I’ve seen relationships healed that I had counted as losses, I’ve seen terrible circumstances turned around for good. And yet, I doubt, I question, I wonder, I worry. I view my life with a worldly outlook instead of a heavenly perspective.

When He said. “oh ye of little faith…”(Matt 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8…) He was surely talking to me.

But, thankfully, He gives me this promise in Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

He's not done with me. And He promises me the strength to get up and start again each and every morning. Each and every minute somedays!

Growing up

I believe in keeping my kids in cribs for as long as humanly possible. I do this for two reasons...one is the obvious, they are easier to contain! The other reason is that they still seem to be my little babies when I put them to bed in a crib. We have two cribs so I never see a reason to move a toddler out of a crib anywhere near their 2nd birthday. I like the third birthday better! 

And so, Sullivan made the transition tonight. He is upstairs in his car bed right now. I really just about cried when I tucked him in and walked out of the room. When did he get so big? 

When did he go from my baby to my big boy? 

Lately he seems to be growing up before our eyes. He is obsessed with finding out how things work. We get constant questions, "mommy, how does this work? Daddy how do we build a house? How do they build a car?" 

No more little boy questions...but big boy questions. And he isn't satisfied with my uneducated answers on these questions. Tonight Jordan had to look up car manufacturing videos on the internet to satisfy the latest questions on how cars our built. (Maybe he'll be an engineer or something!?)

Anyway, I'm sad tonight that my boy is upstairs no longer sleeping in a crib. Just another step in growing up that mommy was completely not prepared for...will that ever stop? 

Fair Warning

I'm giving fair warning...we have a new rule in our house.

If you throw food on the ground thinking that you wont have to eat it...you've thought wrong.

I will still make you eat it.


(ARGH!)

Spring Fever

I am almost back to my healthy self and a new fever has taken the spot of the old...spring fever.

Today is the start of spring cleaning/decluttering in our house. The first project is the kitchen and thanks to a burst of energy that resulted in a jump start last night and the fact that Sullivan and Contessa are still asleep at 8:30 am...that will be accomplished very soon.

The next project is the girls bedroom. Since I have to clean out their closet and dressers and put old clothes in storage, that will take awhile longer...but it feels so good already!

The kids are also making homemade bird feeders today. ;)

Avery's dream

Avery, "Mommy, I just had a dream that Uncle Jordan and you and me and Lauren and Contessa and Sullivan and Daddy all froze like popsicles and we stayed that way. And it really made me scared and sad."



huh?

a look back

Jordan has been organizing our home videos lately and so we've been having fun watching bits and pieces as he does it. Last night we were watching a lot from when Sully was a baby and a toddler.
Jordan commented, 'Wow, we really had a lot to worry about with him...and now look at him!"

There were some days when I was so consumed with the worry that his little legs would not walk and that he had something seriously wrong. It was a bad time.

Looking back on it is such an encouragement. God was with us through every step. Asking us to hold on and simply trust. Simply trusting however is never easy to do.
This verse always stuck out to me during that time and I've been pondering it a lot this week, Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We learned so much from Sullivan and now when we look at him we truly see a miracle. When I see Sully run to me, tackle his dad and jump in the yard I still get teary at times. And I am always thankful. Thankful for my Savior who performs miracles, both big and small.

Here's part of the story through my blog incase you want a recap!
One
Two
Three
Four

On the mend...

Last night was the first night in exactly one week that I didn't wake up in the night coughing and in need of something for my sore throat. It was also the first night since Saturday that I didnt wake up in the night with a fever.
I think I'm getting there...

Regret and Worry

There are two days that can steal the joy from today...

one is yesterday, the other is tomorrow.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

So sweet

I absolutely love this picture of Aaron and Contessa. So sweet.

Bubbles!

Good Luck Goo!

Green!

St. Patty's Day!

Grandma Cindy treated her 7 grandkids to her annual St. Patrick's Day Party this past Saturday. They look forward to it and love every minute of it. As always there were matching shirts and hats to be worn...Probably the cutest part!
Other activities included, a leprachan & 4-leaf clover hunts, bubble blowing, a lucky story, making 'Good-Luck Goo', and a 'green' lunch - green grapes, green apples, green applesauce, hotdogs (not green), chips and green chip dip, broccoli, celery and green apple juice.

thanks Grandma Cindy!

(And I've said it before, but having a kindergarten teacher as a mother-in-law ROCKS!)

For CRYING OUT LOUD!

Avery just asked where babies come from.

More specifically, how they get into the mommies tummies.

She's Four. FOUR!!!!!!!

That explains it...

I went to the dr.
Likely Influenza A - although they did not do the test, sinus infection, double nasty ear infection.

Are you serious?

MIA

I just realized how long its been since I blogged...I only have one thing to blame and that's the militant force that has been attacking my body since about Tuesday night.
By Thursday I really felt awful and then I thought I was a little better. Now today, I'm running a temp.
Cold/Flu symptoms and no energy. I mean NO energy. If you saw the pile of laundry in my basement you'd think it was a joke. I just went down there and realized that the load of jeans I put in on THURSDAY was still in the washer. Yes, I said Thursday. Today is Sunday.
I am not myself and I am sick of it.

Anyway, the kids have had a fun weekend...playing with Curren's Friday night, Grandma Cindy's annual St. Patty Day party on Saturday and playing outside today. It is beautiful out. Or so they tell me.

Here's to a new week and health!

Spring itch

Spring must be coming because I have this horrible itch to get my hair all cut off. I've been growing it back out for a year.

I do this frequently. Chop it all off, very short. And then let it grow to the middle of my back again.

But this time I made myself, promise myself I wouldn't do that again. I'd keep it long. I'm a pony tail girl...

or not...

If my husband gets wind of this I'll be in the beauty shop chair by morning.

I might need to be talked down off this ledge...

I'd be honored and Uh-oh

So Jordan was playing Barbies with Avery today. She is pretty particular about HOW you play when you play with her. Jordan usually comes up with funny stories for the Barbies to act out and Avery does not approve. Today Jordan was apparently behaving himself so Avery let him continue to play.

This is how today's story went:

"Troy" (Jordan's Barbie) was asking "Gabriella" (Avery's Barbie) to marry him.

After the proposal Gabriella and her friends had to have a "girls only" meeting to discuss what the answer would be. (how cute is that!? watch HSM 3 to see where she got that...)

When she came back to the front door where Troy was left standing she whispers, "Daddy? Does 'I'd be honored' mean 'yes'?"

Jordan said he had to ask her to repeat herself 3 times before he finally understood what she was saying and then he was laughing so hard he couldn't respond.

Avery then said, "Well that's what they say on High School Musical 3!"

Seriously, cute. Love her. And him.

So later in the afternoon Avery was still playing Barbies and Contessa was in the room with her causing the kind of trouble you'd expect a moving 8 month old to cause to a 4 year old who wants to play Barbies with out any 'help'.

Jordan was listening to the commotion from the kitchen:

Avery, "Contessa Caroline! You are wrecking everything!"

Contessa, "Uh-oh."

Avery, "That's right uh-oh!" followed by exasperated sighs.

My baby...

I sat down in the dr.'s office waiting room late this afternoon with Contessa sitting on my lap literally whimpering.

An older man across from me leaned forward and said, "how old is your sweet baby?"
I smiled and said that she was 8 months.

He responded, "My baby is 31."

Yep, my Contessa can stay 8 months...even 8 months with a double ear infection and wheezing lungs which is what she's got.

She is beyond sweet.

You know you have a sweet baby when she is sick and you still think they are sweet and you don't want them to grow up!

Poor sweet baby, feel better soon!


(This picture isnt from today. Today her face is covered with snot - in varying colors and phases of wetness. And her eyes are red rimmed and runny.)

Sick

Contessa is sick. She's got cold/flu symptoms with a high temp. and a very fussy, inconsolable attitude. She and I didn't see much sleep last night.

I'm just praying it stays with her and no one else decides to share this one.

My girl

Lauren had this outfit all picked out in her mind last night but parts of it were not clean. She came to me and asked me if I could please wash it. She asked at about 8:45. It meant I needed to do at least 2 more loads of laundry.
I didn't hesitate to do it for her. She asks for nothing from us. Seriously, she is the easiest child and I like to be able to do things that make her feel special. After she got dressed this morning she was very proud of her outfit and she hugged me and said, 'Mommy, thank you for working on the laundry for me last night so I could wear this, I love you."

She's 7.

I wonder if she knows how special she is to me? I need to make sure she does, and if doing laundry till 11 at night does that for her, then I'll definitely do it!

And then there was mud...

Of course the wrestling was followed up by mud. These pictures are after the first round. They were worse after the second round but I was trying to get supper ready and didnt take pictures of the end result.
And yes, Avery can still take him down. But he is gaining on her!

wrestling

Excited

I think these pictures do the best job of showing the kids' excitement for being outside yesterday.
Sullivan was beside himself. He couldn't decide what to play and he wanted to play everything. He went from baseball, to golf, to tennis, to riding in his cars, to making a mud pie and then at one point I saw him playing golf WHILE riding in his truck AND carrying a bucket of mud and sticks in the bed of the truck.
I love these pictures, especially the one of Sully.

And I love that when God brings us spring He brings with it the promise of so much. Everything feels new and fresh and you just know that there is a lot of fun waiting just around the corner!

It reminded me of this wonderful promise, " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new."