A Blessed House - Est. 2007

Mary, Did you Know?

2012-02-03T21:51:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was an unseasonably warm day in February. I had an outdoor photo session at a local walking trail and since it was late enough in the day, Ben could watch the boys for me. The boys ran and played, threw rocks - enjoyed being boys. After the session I met up with them and snapped a few memory shots and then we headed home. Jackson wanted to jump of the bench (of course he did) and I thought it would be fun to catch the shot. He loves to talk about being able to fly. He gets that from Ben. I hate to fly and the thought of that super power sounds anything but super.

When I got home, I uploaded the images and was struck by this one. My eyes were immediately drawn to the crosses in the background and I was just flooded with emotion. It was like everything I am hoping and dreaming for my boys was right there in front of me. Oh how I LONG for the day when I can say with calm assurance that they have taken the leap for Jesus. I pray over the boys that God will call them, save them, do whatever He has to do to just keep them with Him for eternity.

Do you feel burdened for your children? Do you feel pressure to show them the Jesus they read about? I'm so horrible with accountability but I know that my boys are watching me. How will they know Jesus is real if I proclaim Him but act like everyone else? It's a lot of pressure and I can't do it on my own. I need grace just as much as they do but HE gives me the strength and He always will, if I seek Him and ask. Who knew that the two people who know the least about my struggles and failures would be the ones that keep me focused on letting God use me and heal me.

I used to cringe at the thought of anything bad ever happening to the boys, but I'm coming to realize that without the bad, where is the need for Jesus? My prayers have changed from "Protect them, Lord! Watch over them and keep them from any harm!" to "Do whatever you have to Lord to save them." Will it be painful in the process? Maybe. Pain isn't everyone's salvation road, but for some it is. Like Mary, watching Jesus carry the cross - it was painful. It looked wrong. She didn't know it at the time, but that painful road would save me. And you. And, some day, my boys. So until I get to see that official leap, that day they call Jesus King and Savior I will do as Lamentations 2:19 says and "Pour my heart like water before the presence of the Lord, Lift my hands to him for the lives of my children"

What a precious day that will be.

Scarrrrry

2011-08-30T20:37:00.002-05:00

We don't do scary at our house. I just don't like really scary things and I don't let the boys watch shows with big, scary bad guys. I mean, the world is scary enough and I want them to be guarded as long as possible. And good grief, my oldest is only 3! But, even the sweetest of shows (Veggie Tales and Blues Clues) have scary-ish episodes. Of course, from just these small influences, the wild imagination of a child takes off running.

For some reason, Jackson thinks it's fun to tell scary stories to each other, ones that are not at all scary but are as scary as it gets to him. As you can see in this picture (that makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it) today he was telling me a big one. He had this big elaborate story about a ghost that makes playground equipment disappear - truly his worst nightmare! Then, it's my turn. He finishes his story with a big oooooooh and then giggles and says, your turn! Here was my scary story:

"Once upon a time there was a Mommy who was kept up all night by two little boys. She barely got any sleep and woke up super early and super tired. Then, as she slowly crept into the kitchen she realized there was NO COFFEEEEE!!!!! AGGGHHHH!"

Ha! Hope everyone had a great Tuesday :)

Our Weekend

2011-08-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

I Took His Hand and Followed

Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I...

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Lately

2011-07-31T22:31:00.001-05:00

I am the worst blogger in the world! I post once every two months and I know everyone is wondering what in the world we are doing. Here is a recap.

It's so stinkin hot that we hardly do anything outside that doesn't involve water. Here is a picture of Jackson after he'd been in the pool, mid sentence. Because he has elaborate stories and talks non stop.

We have come down with some sort of cootie crud that will not go away. I started feeling down the Friday that we finished VBS and by the next morning I was so sick I went to the walk in clinic in my pajamas with my hair just barely pulled back. The dr kept saying, "I'm so sorry you feel so bad" which we all know is code for "daaaang girl, you are looking rough!" Ben took this picture after I had been in the bed for almost 2 days. Luke was missing his mama snuggles.

It has been two weeks since my dr's visit and even though I feel better than I did (praying for Jesus to return) I still have this inappropriate involuntary cough that interjects itself mid sentence, it has a life of its own.

Last Saturday we went swimming at my Aunt Regina's. We got to her house about 30 minutes after the power went out and it did not come back on until 30 minutes before we went home that night! The boys had a lot of fun and I'm glad we went because they woke up sick Monday morning and we've been stuck inside ever since.

We couldn't go to church this morning because the boys were still snotty, much better but still snotty. This afternoon we couldn't take it anymore and decided to take the boys to see Winnie the Pooh. We just found a nice little corner by ourselves and enjoyed being out of the house for a little while. We are so looking forward to not being sick anymore. I mean, good grief it's still summer!

My Bad Friend

2011-07-18T22:14:00.001-05:00

Random fact about me: After our boys fall asleep I go in their room, cover them back up and watch them sleep for a few minutes. I just love seeing them all sweet and peaceful, something I rarely see during the day. I like to pray over them and whisper how much I love them in their ears. Then I make sure they know Jesus loves them. Even when their sleeping I want them to know how much they've always been loved and wanted. It's one of my favorite times of day.

I gave my testimony to our bible study group not too long ago and even though most of it was about an eating disorder I used to struggle with, a big portion of my life has centered around rejection. After I finished, my friend Berkli came up to me and referenced what I said on Mother's Day the Sunday before. In Sunday School, just two days before, when asked what we hoped our children would say about their parents 20 years from now my response was that I hoped they would know they were always loved and wanted. After I spoke at our Bible Study, Berkli simply stated that she now understood why that was important to me. And, honestly, it really is.

You see, my Mom and Dad divorced when I was two and I haven't seen or heard from him since I was 4, maybe 5. I can't even remember what he looks like. Over the years I've battled with some pretty big rejection over that. I've done some healing but when I had my boys it took a whole new turn. I just thought about how nothing in this whole world would ever keep me from seeing them. Not money, time, jobs, other relationships. Nothing. I'm already looking into where we are going to college some day. Ha! *kidding. sort of.

It just baffles me when I think about it. Though this blog post might lend you to think differently, I really don't think about it very much at all. Unless someone brings it up or I'm in a Bible Study Group being asked how God has shaped my life.

As most women in America do, I struggle with insecurity. Big time. My friend Nikki boldy sent me a copy of Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity because she and I both know I need to read it. I struggle with body image, being liked, being wanted, being worth anyone's time. wondering if I have any talents, if I'm replaceable. All things, that I'm realizing from this book are from life circumstances I've let take root in my life.

Maybe you don't struggle with insecurity, and Praise the Lord if you don't! But if you do, in any way, I recommend grabbing a copy and reading it cover to cover as soon as possible. No matter what your root is, we have a Perfect Heavenly waiting for us, never absent, always present.

Like Beth says, insecurity has been a bad friend and quite frankly I'm tired of it hanging around.

Wigley Boys

2011-06-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

Mary Avery and I have been talking about taking pictures of her boys for a while now but every time we plan on it the weather does not cooperate or something is going on with our families. This past Saturday we finally just made the time to do it! It was a thousand degrees and we found out later that both boys were sick! Good thing they are both super precious so we got a few good shots of her beautiful boys.

These are my two favorites. I love that they are so different yet have that common look that lets you know they are brothers.

Top 25 Faith Blogs - Vote for Courtney!

2011-06-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

I would love it if you would head over here and support my friend Courtney from Women Living Well in her quest to be one of the top 25 Faith Blogs on the net. How great would it be if a Christian blog was #1!?!

Vote every day until June 8th!

Matchy Matchy

2011-06-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

I wonder at what point will they get tired of me matching them all the time and make me stop? I hope never. Yes, I said it. I hope they are 60 and wearing matching clothes. Don't judge.

Whispers

2011-05-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

I put another three miles on these legs tonight. I managed a respectable pace, but. it's clear that I've lost a step or two since I ran distance in High School. The other night, I was telling Bethany, after you hit thirty, you are suddenly conscious of the odometer on your knees. You realize that it may not roll over as many times as you want it to, and you start to appreciate them more. I digress...

During my cool down, I walked to the end of the street- down where there are no houses. Just fields and sky. As I turned back toward home, my attention was upward. What a sky it was - golden hues of the setting sun ringed by the ever-deepening blues and violets of dusk. The fleeting tail of another glorious day. How had I missed that? How had that scene not stopped me in my tracks during the course of my run? I felt The Lord whispering my name...

Ben, look at this, isn't it something...

I stopped and stared because what else could I do.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

I think that about sums up my feelings. I needed to get back home and get things done. So many things drain my time at night- necessary and otherwise. Still, I heard that whisper - Stop. Wait.

What is it Lord, what are you trying to tell me here?

So I just stood there in the middle of the street, in awe of that sky. I just took it in, absorbed it, tried my best to see it as if I'd never seen the sky before. That's when I heard Him again...

I did this in a day. What is it that you are so afraid to ask me?

Thirty minutes later, I'm still not exactly sure where God is going with this, but I had to jot this down before I forget. Maybe this is for one of you reading this too, and you need to ask yourself that same question.

We (self, that means you too!) get so entangled in our pride here on earth. It is all about us, isn't it? That's our deal, right? For goodness sakes, a few years ago, Time Magazine's person of the year was who? Yep, you remember - it was You. It was me, it was all of us. Says a lot, doesn't it? It's all about us. Tonight I was so into what I had just accomplished, so proud, that I missed the greatest love letter of all time, stretched across a limitless sky.

I'm glad that God still takes time to whisper our name and speak words of affirmation into our hearts.I encourage all of us to listen a little more this week.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

I had SUCH a great Mother's Day weekend! First, Ben would not let me do anything. All weekend. I would try to clean or do a project and he would just lead me away from it, making me just relax...which is something I have a really hard time doing. I took his advice though and overly enjoyed myself. Saturday Kacy and I decided we would try our first 5 mile run. It was intense to put it lightly. This part is funny though - We got to where Kacy had mapped the trail out for us and there was already a race going on. When we got to one of the check points they thought we were racers and didn't know why we wouldn't go around the cone! It was funny - they did share some water with us though so that was nice. It was both of our first ever race crashing experience -ha!

Sunday Morning I was showered with way too many gifts by my boys. I got these two beautiful new plants, one from each of my boys.

Then I got a pair of flip flops - my favorites!

And then a gift card to a local spa - Ben is in trouble for doing so much!

I really wanted a picture with my boys, so before church we attempted a few. Some turned out good but as you can see in this one- they weren't having it. I just laugh when I see this because it is so true to life. Those boys do not want to stand still!

We had lunch at our house after church for my Mom and then dinner at Mama Fu's that night.

It was such a great day, I really didn't want it to end. I told Ben it was like having two birthdays in one year :)

Oh the places these will go...

2011-05-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

Happy 17 Month's Luke!

2011-05-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby boy turned 17 months old this past Sunday. How is that even possible?! He is so rotten. You can't even tell that by these pictures can you?

He has such a big personality and let's us in a new aspect of it each day. I can hardly keep up with him - sometimes he is very intense.

He wants to "go" all the time and makes sure I know it. Sometimes he'll just grab his shoes and head to the door.

He and Jackson have a very special brotherly bond. One minute Luke is hitting him upside the head and the next Jackson is giving him a kiss. They really are as different as night and day.

These two boys keep me on my toes - especially that wild 17 month old. I couldn't imagine our life without him :)

Confession

2011-05-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have a boyfriend. We met up about 2 months ago and he has done wonders for my self esteem. I mean, who knew that one simple change could make such a big difference? Here he is – my teasing comb. He’s the best $5 I’ve ever spent. J

At church yesterday, a sweet friend said she loved the way I fixed my hair – words I never thought I’d hear anyone say! She asked me how I got it to poof up and I almost said, “Oh, it’s my boyfriend!” and then quickly realized that would not come out right – ha!

Praise the Lord!

2011-04-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

I should have written this post a few weeks ago but we have been so crazy busy with everything that I'm just now having time. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our family - Ben was offered a full time job a few weeks ago and we are overjoyed that God chose to bless us in such a short amount of time.

Like I said before, our church family has more than taken care of us with food, prayer and anonymous blessings that have more than overwhelmed us. I have never, in all my life seen such Godly people in action. It was a blessing to be be a part of. So thank you for praying with us and for us. We are so grateful to everyone who has called, emailed, written letters, left comments and anonymously prayed. You really have no idea how thankful we are.

We serve a God who is able. No matter what your life circumstances. I was fully aware that He might not ever give Ben another full time job but I knew He would take care of our family and He did. Did you know that since Ben was laid off in late January we have not had to go to the dr one time? I'm sorry but with a toddler and 3 year old who are very active in church and social outings that is a miracle straight from His hands!!! We get insurance again next month and I'm so thankful that He carried our family through until then. I am aware that for the next few months we might come down with the plague :)

3.5

2011-04-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

Jackson turned three and a half years old today. Sigh. How does that even happen? I mean, I know your children get older but they don't ever really get older to you. I see him now and think of this face. This sweet newborn baby. I remember how we struggled to get started nursing and then how we later struggled to get him to quit - ha!

I remember so many wonderful firsts - the first time I saw him, held him, knew my life would never be the same.

He has always been such a precious child and I'm so thankful to be his mom. I just wish he'd stay little forever. I love his sweet fabricated stories, crazy dance moves and the way he'll just randomly run up to hug me and whisper, "I love you Mommy" in my ear. He is growing like a weed - some 4T stuff is getting to be too short for him.

He read his first "real" book today. It had 6 pages each with 2 sentences on them and he sounded out each word until he read it. I mean, he's too little for that! He should still be learning shapes and colors or something. It just goes too fast for this crazy old mom :)

Happy 3.5 Bear! We love you.

Brothers

2011-03-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

Look at this cute print I got for the boys that came in today! Here it is up close:

So cute and will be perfect for their room.

Fun Day

2011-03-24T20:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we met some friends at a new park in town. It has a lot of fun playground equipment but it is also super busy which makes me nervous by myself with these two wild boys. Luckily, Ben was just a few streets over and came to help me eventually.

The park also has a little creek next to the walking trail that was my favorite part. My boys love to throw rocks into water so I was able to contain them there for a small, peaceful moment.

Today we had playgroup and had the best time. I forgot my camera at home but just imagine a bunch of kids running around playing and all of their mothers in the kitchen eating and laughing and you'll get the right picture. Amanda made us dinner tonight and I did get a picture of that.

It was fantastic. And dangerous. I had to stop myself from eating 5 portions. We have the best friends. Hands down! Since Ben lost his job our Sunday School class has blessed us each week with dinner. It has all been soooo good and such a huge blessing to our family. That's something our church does really well (in addition to so many other things) is take meals to people. Sometimes it's because they had a baby, other times because they have been sick and sometimes just to say they're thinking of you. I love that. :)

Focus

2011-03-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

God has really been putting my focus on his 2 commandments lately: Love Him and Love others. You think these things are easy to do until you really try to apply them all of the time no.matter.what. Yeesh. That, my friends is tough! More recently I have been pressed by what Jesus said in his command to love one another as He did - a sacrificial love that knows no boundaries. I don't know about you but I'd much rather love those who love me back but that's just not what He did. He loved us all.

There are so many ways we can love and be love to others as Christ commands but the one that stands out the most to me tonight and the one that will be the focus of my week is Ephesians 3:29:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

How can we love others if we are constantly bringing them down or causing them to either stumble or be downcast? It's impossible and if we are going to truly do as Christ so boldly commanded then we have to consider what we are saying before we say it. I know a lot of times I will just talk or complain about something before I even realize how my words may be affecting someone else who is listening -someone my original intention may have never had anything to do with. I don't know about you, but I want to be helpful to others. I want to be an encouragement, a joy - something positive in this world full of negativity and hate. Put simply, If I don't have anything nice to say then I won't say anything at all.

Further reinforcement for this goal is Matthew 12:36,

"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken."

Ouch. Raise your hand if you're excited about that one? Where was this verse 10 years ago?! I mean, doesn't it make you kinda not ever want to speak again? There is a reason God takes what we say so seriously - He knows how powerful words can be.

Clearly not speaking is impossible for me so I'm going to focus on Him. I'm going to think before I speak and hope that my faith and love for Jesus will literally speak for itself.

Japan Relief Effort and Prayer

2011-03-14T17:02:00.000-05:00

I would love it if you joined me over on my Big Red Pot blog to aid the relief efforts over in Japan.

Please do not underestimate the power of your prayer - join us in not only praying for everyone affected by this tragedy but also the other prayer requests listed here.

Thank You.

"May the Lord repay you for what you have done." Ruth 2:12

Oh How He Loves Us

2011-03-07T14:11:00.003-06:00

Blogs are misleading. Most of the time, we only write about things that are good. Pictures that are cute, stories that are funny and recipes that are delicious. We rarely, if ever, tell what's really going on in our lives. I'm guilty of it with this blog. But not today.

One friday in late January, Ben came home with a look on his face that I'll never, ever forget. He walked into th kitchen, leaned against the counter and fought to hold back the tears. He managed to barely whisper out, "I lost my job today and I'm so, so sorry. I'll fix it. I promise." Clearly, he didn't do anything wrong, we live in a time of uncertainty and our economy is wavering. But still, my heart sank, I got angry (not at him) and went numb for a few minutes. Then, in the realization of what was happening I went to our bedroom and cried. Cried tears, cried out to God and my mind went a thousand different directions. "What will we do? We just moved here. How will we pay our bills? Will I have to go back to work? What will people say?" The last question is the worst for me. It stings. That should never have even crossed my mind. But, it did. You see, we've been here before. In September 2007, two weeks before we had Jackson, Ben was laid off from Acxiom along with a lot of other people. I still remember those long 9 months before he found another real job. And even more than the wait, I remember the looks and comments. Not uplifting, kind comments. Mean words, wondering where our resources were coming from and why Ben was taking so long finding a job. Oh it hurt. We are hard working people, why was this happening?

And now, why is this happening again?

I can look back on the 2007 job loss fondly now because I know where God took us. You see, in 2007 we were both working full time, with good income and the thought of saving money or using coupons were the last things on our minds. I remember one evening in January, watching a Fox News Special where the creator of the Grocery Game was featured and I was fascinated with what she was able to get with those coupons! I thought to myself, "Why did I not know about this? Why has nobody told me?" So I learned and saved and my knowledge grew and eventually I was able to use what little we had to more than provide for our family. That saving streak has not ended and because of the struggles that our family faced I started this blog - just one of many savings blogs out there but I get emails all the time from people telling me that they were able to provide for their family because they shopped sales and coupons that they heard about on my blog - not a testimony to me, but to God. I know exactly how they feel and so I'm thankful, so very thankful for how God blessed that time in our lives. It was a struggle, we had to lean on each other, Ben stocked shelves for Keebler at all hours of the day and night and we used our tax refund to go as far as we could make it go and we managed until Ben got a job at FedEx in May.

God was providing for us then and He is doing it now too. Fastforward 3 1/2 years to this January and we're back there again. Not sure why this is happening but trusting that God has a plan. Because He always does. And just as the scripture says,

"²⁵I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds?"

I thought I was a humble person until Ben lost his job this time and God allowed me to become more humble. I'll never forget finding an envelope in my purse the Sunday after Ben lost his job, only 2 days after it happened with this note that I'll treasure as long as I live.

Just a simple, "God will take care of you." I wish I could say that I was thankful and excited about this at first but I wasn't. I was angry, I wanted to give that money back. I wanted to scream and yell and stomp my feet. "NO! This is NOT happening again!!!" You see, I want to be the one to give, I want to be the one to bless, not the one that needs it. And that envelope made the job loss real. But you know what? Shame on me. Shame on me for thinking so highly of myself. And shame on me for not recognizing a precious moment between me and my Savior when He loved on me. That envelope was just the beginning. I've gotten envelope after envelope after anonymous envelope filled with provision and scripture since this has happened. And do you know why? Not because I'm special, not because I'm worthy, but because He is good and He loves me. He loves you too.

Do you ever think about that? Truly think about it? The God of the Universe. The Creator of ALL things LOVES you. It blows my mind. I'm so wretched, so selfish, so unworthy and He freely gives, freely loves and I'm blown away. He is God Almighty and His promises are true.

I struggled with even sharing this because who wants everyone to know their struggles and insecurities? I worry about what people will say or think and how our family will be judged. But that makes it about me and it's not about me. If I don't tell you what we're going through then God doesn't get the Glory He deserves for everything He has done for us.

I get scared, I worry and I don't understand a lot of things. But, I've learned so much through this trial. One that is still going on. I've learned how much He loves me. That if it matters to me, it matters to God. I've learned the importance of the body of Christ. I love our church and the other Godly people in our lives. It is so encouraging to see people actually acting like Christians, actually loving on us not because we can do anything for them but because they love Jesus and want to be His hands and feet. It's overwhelming. And last, I've learned that no matter what we're given financially, whether through a paycheck or anonymous envelope it is from HIS hands. We don't earn anything, He gives it. That's humbling and I'm so thankful that He loves me enough to take the time to humble me so that I can become more like my Jesus.

"If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, tis now."

Don't Blink

2011-02-17T15:44:00.001-06:00

Somewhere along the way my two little boys grew up.

Without asking my little babies turned into big boys.

It's so true that if you blink you'll miss it.

Who knew two little boys could drive you crazy and melt your heart all at the same time.

And it just keeps snowing!

2011-02-10T17:08:00.000-06:00

We have had a crazy amount of snow around here, as most of you already know, reaching up to 20+ inches! Last week, when we had our initial snow we were really sick with a stomach bug and now we're recovering from some coughing cooties. I guess it's best that we've had to be inside since we would have had to stay home anyway! All I want to do is eat, duh. Either the sun comes out or I'm going to weigh 500 lbs. I baked some oatmeal raisin cookies today so I wouldn't feel so guilty about eating them :) We've really enjoyed all of our family time and today we had to get down right creative so our children would not go stir crazy!

First, we fished for ice cubes. This was super fun! It's supposed to encourage hand/eye coordination and even though it was not a challenge for jackson he had a great time with it. You just put a bunch of ice cubes in a big bowl of water and then scoop them out one by one with a slotted spoon into a new bowl.

Then we experimented with different food coloring in jars to see what colors we could make.

Jackson was so excited each time to find out what the end result was going to be!

Dad wowed us further and made jarred tornadoes.

We ate a lot yesterday - taco soup for lunch and Amanda's Pork Tenderloin for dinner so tonight I think we'll have BLT's because who doesn't love bacon? I'll be honest - I'm reallllly excited about the forecast in the 50's next week!!!

It's Snowing!

2011-01-15T08:14:00.001-06:00

I just had to brag about the sun shining - ha! We got some snow this past week, not as much as they predicted and ironically not nearly as much as the southern part of the state!

We thought it was crazy that Southaven, MS, where we moved from, got 8-9 inches while we only got 2! The boys had fun, so that's all that matters.

It was sooooo cold. I didn't want Luke out in it because we are ill prepared for these temperatures. I'm a Mississippi girl and I just don't think I was made for a high of 14! I breathed out as I was taking this picture and it fogged up the lens - coooold.

My brother spent the day with us and played in the snow with Ben and Jackson. There's just nothing quite like a 16 year old uncle around. Luke wanted out with Jackson so badly that he ran after him in his robe and boots. I let him take the scene in and then made him stay inside with me.

We enjoyed homemade hot chocolate and beef stew and a lot of fun, family time since Dad got to stay home from work. I love snow days, for the day, but I'm already ready for Spring!

It's Shining!

2011-01-07T14:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we FINALLLLY had a pretty, sunshiny not sub-zero temperature day. I know some of y'all live farther north and think our temps are sissy stuff but it is COLD outside to me!

I was so excited to get these boys out of the house and in some fresh air - I was 1 more cold, cloudy day away from being featured on the 5 oclock news.

I'm so ready for spring!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T22:43:00.001-06:00

We were so excited about Christmas this year in our new home! On Christmas Eve we went to our church's beautiful service. After the kids went down front and the pastor read them the Christmas story, they all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and went back to their seats. Jackson said, not using his inside voice, "We should probably go since it's probably over now" He was ready to go home!

There was no childcare so we just fed Luke puffs and crackers like a zoo animal to keep him happy. On the way home Jackson out of the blue said, "Well, that was fun." That boy.

We then came home to open our traditional pj presents. My Dad sent the boys some gifts from Barnes and Noble so we let them open those too.

One of the presents was "The Giving Tree" and poor Jackson opened it up back side first. Have you ever seen Shel Silverstein's books? He puts a huge picture of his big scary face on the back cover. Jackson was so excited opening it and then just paused half way through the unwrapping, scared to keep going - haha! We had to tell him it was ok to open it and that man was sweet.

We put out cookies for Santa and hurried the boys to bed as best we could. Ben and I were in bed by midnight and that my friends is a Christmas miracle!

We had a wonderful, quiet Christmas morning at home this year. The boys were so excited to see what Santa brought them. We just sat around, played with toys and baked a birthday cake for Jesus :)

Luke is pretty into fridge magnets right now so he got 3 different presents to play with on the fridge!

Jackson was so excited about his scooter - he rides it all over the house. Oh and the Buzz arms - they are officially the coolest thing Santa has ever brought :)

We got Jackson a Dress Up Joey and Percy Travel Train Set

And we got Luke a magnet set and a shape sorter train

Jackson is really into Cars stuff and his Big Pop got him some "Cars" cars and a Cars Game - he loved both!

I got this sweet picture of the boys playing when they thought nobody was looking. I love moments like these:

Nonni and KuhKuh came later and brought cute robes for the boys and even more presents.

As Priscilla Shirer says, "We don't do much from Santa because our children have grandparents...do your children have grandparents?" We're headed to Ben's parents house on Friday were we'll spend a full 3 days with Pawpaw, Gigi and the girls - the fun continues!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-25T12:44:00.001-06:00

Thanks to some great promotional offers, we sent out 5 different styles of Christmas Cards this year! Here is one of them:

We want to wish each of you a very, Merry Christmas. We hope that you will find the peace and joy that only Jesus can provide. No matter what is going on in your home this morning, Jesus is the true and only reason for Christmas Day!

Luke 2:16-20

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke Turns One!

2010-12-24T10:19:00.001-06:00

I know, this is 24 days late but I just had to document my sweet baby boy turning 1!

On his actual birthday, Wednesday the 1st we had a small family birthday party for him. He had his favorite pasta meal

His very own mama made smash cake

He wasn't too interested in anything but the icing

He then had a super fun time opening presents. From Mama, Daddy and Jackson he got Penguin Bowling

From Nonni and Kuh-Kuh he got an Animal Sounds Puzzle

And from PawPaw, Gigi and the girls he got a Red Ball and a Big Giraffe

As you can see he carried that Giraffe around all night.

Our big boy is 25 lbs 6 oz and is 32 inches long! Luke can say banana, ball, bite, cereal bar (si bah), that, Kitty, Cracker, bye bye, Cookie, Pup-o (puppy), cheese, Mama, Dada, some form of Jackson and he can sign eat, more, please, all done, thank you and milk. He can also tell you what sounds a cow, cat, puppy and duck make.

To say we love him would be putting it mildly. I am so thankful God blessed us with you Luke! Then, on Sunday, we had friends over to celebrate with all of Luke's new playmates! Here is John Micheal practicing guitar.

Robin made her super cute, fabulous cookies

I made two different types of soup

and we just had some other random goodies

We love our new friends and we all just had a wonderful time visiting, fellowshipping and celebrating sweet Luke!

Looks can be deceiving

2010-12-21T08:15:00.000-06:00

Look at my boys. Isn't this one precious?

And this one? So sweet....

Aha! They've got you fooled too! Don't let their charm and good looks throw you. These boys are rotten! Ha! No, my boys really are precious but sometimes, just sometimes they are anything but. Case in point. Last week, Jackson decided to put his finger in Luke's mouth. Well, Luke has about 8 teeth so he bit Jackson. Hard. Jackson cried. I responded with, "that's what you get for putting your finger in his mouth" and then Jackson saw the teeth marks on his finger and flipppped out. Evidently he had never seen teeth marks before (I know, a 3 year old unaware of teeth marks is a rarity) I'm pretty sure he thought his finger was going to fall off. Me, being the wonderful compassionate mother that I am, immediately ~~explained the situation to him~~ ran and got my camera and snapped a memory.

I then proceeded to bite my own finger, show him the teeth marks and we all went about our day. But seriously, they are precious. In their own whiny, teeth biting, over reacting kind of way. :)

Just Jesus

2010-12-19T10:31:00.000-06:00

I had to miss church this morning because Luke isn't feeling well. I'm pretty sure it's just teething but since he's kind of snotty I didn't want to take any chances of making anyone else sick, so I stayed home with him. The big boys are at church and Luke is napping so I have a few minutes to myself - hello there rarity! I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now but just have never had the time to sit down and thoughtfully put it down in print. I have about an hour before everyone gets home or wakes up, so, I can actually blog.

For as long as I can remember I've been a worrier. Little things, big things. I just worry about stuff. What if this, what if that. You know how that can be. When I was 8 years old my Mamasuey led me to Christ. She said, "You can either spend your life doing things your way or God's way, but you have to make a decision." I remember sitting in a room alone, after her speech, crying and choosing Jesus. I wish I could say I acted like I chose Jesus from there on out but unfortunately I didn't. I went to church, read my bible some but never really worked on a personal relationship with Jesus. I believed in Him, knew He was God's son but that was about it. I made poor decisions in high school and college, drinking, partying. Yep, sure did. I was searching. Searching for something to calm me, to fill my void, to make all that worry go away. Of course, none of those things helped. After a series of events, car accidents, allergic reactions to a medicine and my world being torn upside down when I was 20, I started having panic attacks. I was miserable. It was all consuming. All I could think of was, "I'm going to die, any minute I'm going to die" and my heart would start racing and I'd be left prey to all sorts of crazy thoughts and fears. I was so scared of dying. I can remember the exact moment I asked God for help. I was in the floor of my room at my parents house, it was in March and I just fell flat on my face and cried out to God to help me, to fix it. I gave everything to Him - told Him I couldn't do it on my own anymore and quite frankly I did not want to. I wanted to do it His way and even though I knew I'd fail along the way, I'd spend the rest of my life serving Him if only He'd forgive me. In that instant, I felt a physical wave of peace go over my body and I've never, ever had a panic attack since.

Ben loves to joke that I'm the only Christian he knows that gets anxious when I think about living forever. It's true, just the thought of eternity, where did God come from?, etc sends my stomach into knots and I feel like throwing up. How silly is that? If I claim to love and know Jesus, why in the world would His plan make me so out of sorts? Because I haven't been focused on the true reason for Heaven - worshiping and glorifying God. For some reason, we feel like we have to sell people on Heaven: "Just think, so and so will be there! You'll have this huge mansion! There will be streets of gold! You'll never suffer or hurt again!" And while all of those things are true and blessings to be had, they cheapen eternity for me.

About a month ago I sat down and decided that if I love God and Jesus then that needs to be my reason for wanting to be in Heaven. Because, when it comes down to it, Jesus is the only reason I get to be in Heaven in the first place! Maybe your loved ones will be there to greet you in Heaven but they did not suffer an agonizing death on the cross for you - Jesus did. And that was it. That's my decision. Just Jesus. If I never see anyone I loved on this earth, if I never get a mansion or walk on a street made from gold I don't care - I just want my Jesus. I am so, completely in love with Jesus and I can not wait to spend eternity letting Him know that. He saved me, He healed me, HE ALONE has made me new! He paid my price, He made God's glory known and I honestly can not wait to get to Heaven to be with Him.

So that's where I am. I'm not anxious anymore. And I owe it all to the Prince of Peace. Just Jesus.

Oh Tannenbaum

2010-12-12T22:43:00.001-06:00

For those of you that haven't known me for very long, you probably don't know that I spent 3 1/2 years of my high school in Germany. We moved over there December of my freshman year and I left the July after I graduated. You also probably don't know that I minored in German language in college and can still speak it pretty good although it is fading fast! Now that random fact hour is over we'll move on to our Christmas tree decorating (or Tannenbaum in German)

The day after Thanksgiving is our traditional throw the tree up and decorate the house festivities day but since all of my boys were sick the festivites had to wait until Sunday night. That poor tree sat naked in our garage from Friday to Sunday! Once we were able to decorate we had a really fun time. I made a homemade BBQ Chicken pizza in my cute apron my bff Mary sent me for my birthday

The boys helped hang ornaments

we all ate pizza and sugar cookies

and watched Frosty the Snowman

And Jackson was more than thrilled that he got to put the star on top. He only asked if it was time about 300 times!

I'm so thankful for my family and our sweet, fun memories!

God Listens, He hears me when I pray

2010-12-10T13:21:00.001-06:00

I've been having a really rough morning. I try so hard to live by Ephesians 4:29 that says, " Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

I want to be an encouragement to others, to build others up as Christ rebuilds me every day, but the truth is, I get sad. I get hurt. I get angry. I'm not proud of those things but they are things I am working on every day! I want the Joy of the Lord to always be my Strength but there are those days when I just feel like throwing one big giant pity party, tossing my hands in the air and saying, "WHY ME!?" I'd love to delude myself with the idea that I'm a "good person" and that I don't deserve to suffer but the truth is I'm not a good person, not one of us is! And furthermore, I don't have a "right" to anything, especially a happy and comfortable life. That's a hard pill to swallow but Gods word reminds me of that. This morning, I prayed and asked God to heal my hurt, heal my wounds and show me how to love others as He loves them. Then I read my passage for the day, Romans 12. I was blown away - in a time where I was making it all about me, God reminded me of how I am to act no.matter.what. The truth is, I'm a wretched person. But, by the Grace of God's word and Holy Spirit I have the opportunity to be pleasing and obedient to Him. And so that's what I'm choosing. I want God's light to shine through me and loving others, humbling myself and offering everything I have regardless of what others do to me is exactly what I'll strive to do. Here is Romans 12 - I hope it blesses and encourages you as much as it did me.

Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.
¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

9 months in the making

2010-12-01T15:29:00.001-06:00

MARCH

APRIL 6 WKS

MAY 10 WKS

JUNE 14 WEEKS

JULY 18 WKS

AUGUST 24 WKS

SEPTEMBER 30 WKS

OCTOBER 34 WKS

NOVEMBER 36 WEEKS

December 1, 2009

Luke Townsend
Born at 39 weeks
8 lbs, 14 oz

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T13:08:00.000-06:00

We had a memorable Thanksgiving for sure! We drove down to Russellville after Ben got off work Wednesday night so that we would have plenty of time to visit with both my and Ben's family on Thursday. We normally rotate Thanksgiving Holiday time with family but when both families are in the same time it is a blessing to be able to spend a little bit with both!

Unfortunately, Luke woke up at 330ish Thanksgiving morning with the Stomach Bug. Ben and I were up with him until about 930 when we napped for a few hours and seemed to be doing better. We went to Ben's sisters house for a quick visit since they have little kids and we did NOT want to spread our cooties if we could help it! It was nice to see everyone but, as always, too short. I didn't get to take any pictures because Luke would not let me put him down.

As soon as we got back we attempted a few family pictures but most were fails considering both boys were acting really off.

We laid them both down for their nap and luckily had about an hour to eat before the cootie saga continued.

Luke woke up sick from his nap about 2 and as we were washing him off in the tub we heard Jackson wake up and get sick from his. Sigh. After we got both boys cleaned up we packed the car and headed home - much earlier than we ever intended. We found out as we were driving home that Ben's sister Diana made Luke a surprise birthday cake and we had to miss out on that too.

Both boys got sick in the car on the way home and it was pretty disheartening. As we were about to take our last turn north up the hill we were surprised by this beautiful sunset - a reminder of God, His beauty and His control in our lives.

Sickness or not, I have so much to be thankful for. I'll admit, I was having a little bit of a pity party on the way home but as I saw this I realized how much time I had spent in prayer that day, how much time and attention I gave to God and truthfully, He should have been my main focus the whole Thanksgiving anyway. It may sound crazy, but it really was a blessing in disguise. Without God, what do I have to be thankful for?

Fall Fun and Festivities

2010-11-04T07:50:00.001-05:00

This past Thursday we had our Fall Festival Playgroup and it was such a blast! We usually split up into two groups since we all have a million children but this was our once a month "big" get together and it was so much fun! The boys dressed up like a Robot and Cowboy this year, they were so cute - and how precious are they holding hands? I love that right now they love eachother. I have a feeling I'll be clinging to that in about 5 years - ha!

There were games for them to play and tons of treats along with goody bags and a hot dog and chili buffet. Tracy did a wonderful job hosting and went all out! Robin made her talented cookies and the kids swoop in on those like they are bricks of gold!

After seeing how much fun the kids had playing in this corn, I decided I need to go buy some for my own boys to play in. Maybe I'll replace it in the sandbox, it has to be easier to clean up than sand. Right?

Sunday, our church had Fall Fest. The Square was "re-seeding" so we they moved it to the parking lot instead. We all had a blast and never skipped a beat.

There were tons of people there, so many that for the first hour and a half we were standing in line for about 4 things! Jackson loved the giant slide, bouncy house and of course the horses. Look at that cowboy!

We ran into all of our new friends. Laurie, Kelly and Harper

Julie, Guy and that precious Lobster

Ben worked a volunteer station for part of the time and the boys were happy to get to have fun with him again when he was finished

Luke had enough so we headed to McAlister's about 8 - they had Kids Eat Free when you wear your costume

Great times with our church family and great times with my boys. Hope everyone else had a great weekend too!

Give me 3 Steps, Give me 3 Steps Mister

2010-10-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

My baby doesn't want to be my baby anymore...he's trying to be my toddler.

Low Stress, High Calorie

2010-10-21T14:31:00.000-05:00

We had our October Recipe Exchange party on Tuesday night at Amber's house. Oh man, was it fun!

Everyone had such a fun, stress free (read child free) time

We talked, laughed and ate and ate and ate and ate and ate and ate and ate

There was so much good, high calorie food. The theme was comfort food and was it ever!

I looked down at my plate after I fixed it and have never seen so many different shades of beige with the only green surfacing under french fried onions and cream of mushroom soup! You should have seen the facebook status updates afterward. They ranged from, "I should have waited to start Weight Watchers" to "I feel like I'm going to throw up" to "I will probably have to run a few extra miles tomorrow!" We had a blast and I can't wait until November :)

Thankful

2010-10-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

My new friend Janna shared this song with me the other day and this video and lyrics were such a blessing to me. Words could never express how much I love my husband and I love him more and more each day. We live in a mean and ugly world - I'm so thankful to be dancing through the minefield of life with him.

A Little Taste of Fall

2010-10-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to put my fall decorations up in our new home. Something about holiday decorating just makes your house feel a little more "home-y" I love getting everything out each year and love how festive my house looks from October to January with all of the fun celebrations to come.

I found this candy corn idea in a magazine and I just love it!

I love getting my fall "foilage" out each year

I have a candle lit in my pumpkin to help make my home a haven of peace

And my most prized decoration this year is this pumpkin Jackson made for me at church!

Too Soon?

2010-10-13T21:04:00.001-05:00

As I watched Luke crawl back into his exersaucer

I thought to myself

Maybe, just maybe

we put this thing away too soon...

Play Group Shots 9/16

2010-10-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

Here are some cute shots from play group a few weeks ago at Ginger's. I have been looking for them and finally found them on a memory card I rarely use. I love these sweet kids - they are all so precious!

Lunch Time!

Luke Bug - ever teething

Sweet Shepherd

Harper found the silly bands and had the best time putting them ALL on!

I love this picture of Matthew!

And Jackson and Braxton cooking - how cute is that?

I just love our play group dates! Sweet kids, wonderful Mom's to fellowship with a yummy food - does it get better than that?

Thanks Aunt Pam

2010-10-07T21:48:00.000-05:00

Ben's sweet Aunt Pam sends the boys packages more often than we deserve. She is so good to us! She packed a big box full of books, shirts, cookies, flashlights, treat bags and a stuffed pumpkin!

Aunt Pam always knows exactly what to send - like this Biscuit book. Jackson absolutely loves Biscuit and we had just been to the pumpkin patch the weekend before!

She also always has the best timing. This week the package came on tuesday, right after Jackson got back from getting a steroid shot. As you can see, he seems just fine going through his goodies. And look at these super cute matching shirts for the boys!

Jackson loves to read and Aunt Pam sends him the best books! I think I get just as excited to see what books are in the box :)

Ben was excited to see this cute book about a ghost named "Ben" :)

Can you tell how much we love ev.er.y.thing.?

Jackson said he'd just send himself to Aunt Pam - I don't think she's ready for that just yet - ha! After opening the box Jackson said, "Oh that Aunt Pam! She's so sweet to bless us!" I agree :)

Thanks Aunt Pam! We love you!

My Golden Birthday

2010-10-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

I've been excited about my 28th birthday for as long as I can remember - it is, after all, my golden birthday! I had such a wonderful, blessed day. I woke up toballoons, a card and my almost 3 year old singing me happy birthday, it was so priceless! Later Ben called and had Jackson get a box from under his bed that had a new coffee cup and some candy in it. That man knows what makes my heart beat! :)

We have bible study on Tuesday mornings and I was so thankful to spend my birthday morning with so many of my new friends - they are such a blessing to me! We also had a new member's luncheon where each new member got a "prize" along with a wonderful lunch. I got this beautiful bag filled with lots of goodies to take with me each time I go to Bible Study! Sweet Rachel made an a.mazing dessert that will be on my other blog soon. It was so.stinking.good. When Ben got home for the day he brought chocolate cupcakes with him so I got another sweet treat from him along with a precious picture from my boys and a super cute new dress from Target!

That evening we got a pizza and took it to the park so the boys could play and we could eat in peace. Ben asked if I wanted to go out to dinner for my birthday but I quickly said no - the thought of battling the boys through dinner did not sound fun to me - ha!

We did meet up with our new friends Dennis and Janna for a late dessert and had a wonderful time. They are such a blessing to us and I was thankful to spend a few moments of my birthday with them. Of course, the boys were tired so we had to cut out early but it was such a great day. I feel so very blessed :)

birthday letter

2010-10-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

10/1/2010

Dear Jackson,

Words fail me when I try and explain how fast time has gone by the past 3 years. It seems like just yesterday when your dad and I first found God had blessed us with you. This past year I have watched you grow from a toddler into a little boy. You are so smart, so independent, so, well, you  No matter how hard I try, I just can’t keep up with you. Where does energy like that come from and why won’t you share it with me – ha! You’re teaching me to be a better mom and a better Christian. I want to know more of Jesus because of you – thank you for that. Here are a few things about you as a budding 3 year old that we never want to forget.

You love Jesus and you love your church – I hope this never changes!
You’ve decided to be a picky eater in the past few months. My child who would eat anything now has a preference.
You are one of the funniest people I know. Seriously. I’d rather hang out with you than watch tv.
You are so compassionate. You care about other people and hurt with them if you see they are hurting.
You name everything you find pickles or tickles.
You love your daddy so much and wait at the window each day for him to come home.
You love to “watch a show” – which is why you are limited
Potty Training you was so easy – you just did it yourself really. Super thanks for that one!
We love how you say hi to every person you meet – you offer the joy of Christ to each person you pass, never discriminating your greetings to anyone.
You love your family, all of us and find such joy in just spending time together.
You love to sing, dance and perform for anyone, all the time. We can’t go anywhere that has music without you busting a move in the middle of the store.
You have a care free confidence that is contagious and admirable. I hope that never changes
You love to rock a stinky face when you get mad. You may get a naughty mat for it, but I think it’s kinda cute.

In bible study we have been talking about how God loves to surprise us and how He is able to do way beyond our wildest prayer or imagination – He definitely did that with you. Everything we prayed for, everything we imagined our first born could be, God has surpassed it all… We give Him so much glory, honor and praise for your life little man. We love you.

Mom and Dad

Twenty Eight

2010-09-28T07:12:00.002-05:00

28 years ago today, a beauiful little baby girl was born. I have always found the story of her life to be incredibly fascinating - almost like the script of a novel or movie. The day I met Bethany, I knew she was unlike any girl I had ever known. She is funny, graceful, talented, beautiful and compassionate. I am so glad that God saw fit to cross our winding paths seven years ago. I can't imagine life without her.

Happy Birthday! I hope that your "Golden Birthday" is as good as you imagined.

Oh, and I can't forget a little Office for your birthday...

Matchy Matchy

2010-09-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ben's Aunt Pam is always sending the boys the most darling clothes and books - some of the cutest clothes our boys wear are from Aunt Pam! This summer she sent the boys matching t-shirts and if you can believe it, they were the very first matching clothes they had. They were so cute in them and when I went out shopping for some new fall clothes today I could not help myself - I had to buy some more matching shirts! Here are two I found at Gymboree and Target - I can't wait to put them in them. I know they will look back at these pictures, rolling their eyes at me when they are older. Don't worry, I'll pay for their therapy- ha!

Worth Reading

2010-09-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

I have recently made a wonderful new blog friend - Courtney. She runs the very inspiring biblical womanhood site, Women Living Well. She also has a blog with great articles, tips and message boards. I wanted to encourage each of you to read the post for today, something Courtney asked a fellow blogger if she could share on her site. I hope it will be the jump start each of us needs to extend the hand of fellowship Jesus encourages us to. You can find Courtney and the post here.

one of those days

2010-09-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

oh brother. Today was definitely one of those days! I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for Ben's work and was so excited to eat one with my breakfast. Little did I know, there would only be 2 left this morning and Jackson would lay claim to both. Even though both boys slept really well last night (all night until 8 am today!) they did NOT want to nap. Luke slept for about an hour around noon and that was it for the whole day. Jackson did not nap at all. He was laying down but when Luke got up and was really loud and really fussy he got up too. I told Ben when he got home, I honestly would not care if the boys didn't nap if they were happy and playing joyfully but, as we all know, when they don't nap they are such crab apples! I had several things I needed to get done around the house today and holding Luke was not one of them - ha!

After Luke had been up and fussed for almost 2 hours I decided to lay him back down. I left Jackson playing with his cars in the living room and as soon as I got Luke situated I heard, "Mommy I just need to tell you something." So, I go in the living room and Jackson says, "I just stuck a fadesoffintouncontrollableandundetectablespeech" What? I could not understand him and the tears start flowing like crazy. After a few minutes of decoding I translate that Jackson put an orange seed up his nose and it is now stuck.

Let's go semi-off topic a little here. Praise the Lord I have been reading, "Bringing Up Boys" by Dr. Dobson so that I could have some sort of insight into WHY in the world my son stuck an orange seed up his nose!

So, I look up his nose and I don't see anything. I ask him if he is sure it's up there and he's pointing to the top of his nose, crying, "It's right there!!!" So I try to get him to blow his nose. Nope, just snot. We go about this for about 5 minutes with no seed in sight. I'm convinced we're going to have to go to the ER where my child will be traumatized by surgical tweezers probing the upper cavity of his nose when I just start praying. We go to the bathroom and I hold a cloth over one side of his nose and just keep telling him to blow. And wouldn't you know it, after a few tries, out comes a gigantic orange seed. I have no idea how he got it up so far. As soon as it came out I said, "You better thank Jesus for getting that out of your nose" and my sweet boy dropped to his knees and said, "Oh Jesus! Thank you for saving my nose!"

Needless to say, my "laying luke down" did not work. He screamed until I just went and got him. I went with the boys into the play room, completely giving up on any housework whatsoever. While we were playing I noticed Jackson had left the rest of his pumpkin muffin on his play table, you know, the one I wanted in the first place. In perfect Mom fashion, I reached over, grabbed it, took a bite and ended up with a mouth half full of sand. Evidently it went outside with jackson this morning when he played in his sand table.

All's well that ends well though, and those two precious ones are now sound asleep. Praise the Lord.

Christmas is Calling

2010-09-14T15:49:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to find this cute outfit for Luke to wear this holiday season...here's hoping he still can when the time comes!

Through the Eyes of a Child

2010-09-12T20:00:00.001-05:00

Today we had the closing service of DNOW 2010, a youth ministry that reaches out to youth in our area. They take part in games, service projects, worship and learning about discipleship. As a church we got to be a part of their experience and let me tell you, it was an experience! God's presence was so evident in our church this morning, it was overwhelming at times. I learned so much watching our youth worship God with all they had - carefree of anyone watching and what anyone might say. It was a moment between them and their Savior. If only all of us worshipped God with such childlike adoration.

We were blessed with getting to worship with the Jeff Johnson Band and listen to a very profound message by Ed Newton. I wish I could adequately put into words what I experienced today. I love our new church. It seems like each week I learn something new about God and about myself: things I need to work on and things He is so gracious to forgive and continue to work on in me. But today, it was different. Instead of learning something new I was reminded of something I've known all along: how much I love Jesus. I remember when I rededicated my life to God back in 2003. I was SO desperate for Him and I'll be honest, it's a great place to be. Over time, even though you love God just as much, you forget the passion, the drive and the awesomeness that loving Him really is. It can become the norm even when you never intend for it to. God is so good, so faithful, so abundant and as I was leaving church today I just wanted to jump on top of the nearest building and preach the same message I heard this morning. "Run to Him! Please, everyone, PLEASE run as fast as you can into the arms of Jesus! He is waiting for you, loving you and interceding for you." I wish I lived every day feeling like this.

As I watched our church worship and heard the message with open and willing ears, I lifted my hands to God in praise it dawned on me. I love Jesus so, so much but it has NOTHING on how much He loves each of us...me and YOU. I know the world does not like for us to say it but Jesus is it. He Is. And He is ours joyfully. I pray that each of you reading this knows that.

At the end of the service the youth choir sang Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty Who Was and Is and Is to come and it was like I caught a glimpse of Heaven. Fellow Christians worshipping, my heart filled with so much joy and peace it might explode and our God being Exhalted as He and only He deserves to be. I hope I live to see the day when my own boys are down there on that altar praising God - I can think of no greater thing for my children than that.

~ Bethany

9 months and counting...

2010-09-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

Luke turned 9 months on the 1st of September - where has the time gone? I mean, seriously, it blows my mind some days how fast time is moving around here! He had his first illness this past week - he was so pitiful! Jackson has never even run a fever so to have one so little be sick was a new one for us. It's so fun for me to see the differences in Jackson and Luke's personality as the grow. Luke is such a calm, quiet baby, perfectly content to play by himself. There will be times when we are all in the living room and Luke will just crawl back to the play room by himself and start playing. Jackson would have NEVER done that!

He is over baby food. Completely. If I try to give him any, whatsoever he will spit it out and clamp his mouth shut. Some people react to this by saying, "Oh, that's good!" but really, it's not. It is really difficult to prepare food for him in a way that is healthy and in a pure form but is also soft enough for him to eat safely. Most of the time, I just give him whatever we are having (pre salt added, of course) and he gobbles it up faster than I can keep it on his tray. He has started standing on his own and will walk a step or two between furniture. I was kind of hoping I could delay him in some way by not encouraging him to walk but no luck so far. He loves to clap his hands and wave bye. If only they would stay this sweet and innocent forever!

He loves it when Ben calls us on the phone and will immediately come over, grab the phone from me and say, "Hey Dada!" Super cute stuff.

He is overall a very mild mannered, easy going baby. I can't tell you how many times I've been told, "He's just such a calm, laid back baby!" And 99% of the time that's true. But let me tell you this, if you tell the boy 'no' his world falls apart! He has such a little temper on him! It's so rare that I see it that for now, I think it's kinda cute :)

He just fits into our little family so perfectly and I can't remember life before him or imagine it without him.

I love you sweet Luke bug! We all do :)

What are these faces?

2010-09-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

Finally Friday!

2010-09-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad it's friday! Not only is it a long weekend, but today was absolutely glorious outside! We ate a picnic lunch with Ben and then enjoyed most of the rest of the day outside. We even ate dinner outside tonight - chili and potatoes, yum. Luke is slowly but surely feeling better. Wednesday night was by far the worst. We went to the dr on Thursday and he said his right ear was not infected yet but full of fluid so he anticipated it would be at any time. He said he also saw some signs of infection in his nose so he sent us home with an antibiotic to take. I'm not big on antibiotics unless they are absolutely neccessary but in this case I thought it was best going into a long weekend. Did you know that children do not develop sinuses until age 4? Me either!

I finally got a shot of Luke standing by himself. He's starting to take small steps between furniture so who knows what the next month will hold!

We're really excited about SEC football. We're a pretty small voice up here in Hog Country but we'll still be cheering for our Rebs - Hotty Toddy! Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend :)

Happy 9 Months Luke and a Prayer Request

2010-09-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

This was my sweet 9 month old boy this morning and tonight he is just pitiful and sick. I think he has an ear infection and we will be at the Dr in the morning to find out. Would you pray for him? He is usually such a happy baby and loves to play, laugh and eat but tonight he just wanted to be held, whimpering all the while. Bless his heart. I was hoping to be writing a 9 month in review post tonight but snuggling a sick boy trumps all.

Water Party

2010-08-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

Who needs

a tv

when you

have got

a hose?

Happy Sunday!

2010-08-29T21:36:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Sunday - I hope you did too!

Standing and Puzzles and Beds, Oh My!

2010-08-27T16:59:00.001-05:00

First, Luke started standing on his own yesterday! He has been pulling up for about 2 1/2 months now but just yesterday started letting go and standing on his own for about 10 seconds. Jackson walked at 10 mths so I expect brother to not be too far behind.

Jackson has always been interested in puzzles and has recently been able to put the 'big puzzles' together - you know, the ones where you have to actually piece it together without a perfect spot with matching picture to put it in. It is so amazing to watch his mind advance and develop over time. It is such a blessing to be able to be home and witness these little moments each day.

And last, the bear got a new bed yesterday. He was so proud of it and today when we left the house he told his bed, "Now, you be good while I'm gone and don't get into any trouble. I will be back soon to nap in you!" Cute stuff :)

We spent our morning playing at the park with friends (thanks for inviting us Jessica!) After being there for about 30 minutes Jackson said, "I'm ready to go," and ran to the car. Umm, ok? Who are you and what have you done with my child?! He knew we were going to see Dad on our way to drop off these donations and was more than a little excited about that I guess - I left my camera at home so you'll just have to know that we had a fun time!

Chill Out

2010-08-25T18:59:00.002-05:00

It has been such a hot summer. If I had $1 for every time I heard, "It is never this hot around here!" this summer I could buy myself a new couch :) Today, however, we got a break. First thing this morning, Jackson ran out in the backyard and then right back in and said, "Mom! It's cold outside!" I checked the real feel and it was 75 - how funny is that?

I can't keep pants on this boy. You're lucky he has underwear on.

The boys had such a fun time. Luke loved crawling around everywhere and was more than happy to pick weeds for me.

We can't find a patio set we just love, so we have no chairs in the back yard what so ever. I found 2 cute ones on the cheap at Target last night but we couldn't fit them in the car with all of us in there. So, Ben decided to go back after we put the boys to bed. Wouldn't you know it - they were gone! I was so upset. I decided to call the other Target this morning and he said they had 5 left so I put the boys in the car after our picnic lunch with Ben and off we went.

You should have seen me, maybe you did, I was pushing and shoving those things in my front seat. It was a sight. Needless to say, I got them in and we are excited to have some seats to enjoy this beautiful weather in. I'm so excited about drinking my coffee outside in the morning I could just scream!

say cheese

2010-08-23T17:18:00.000-05:00

One little boy. So many sweet smiles.

Giveaway!

2010-08-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

Leave a comment over here on my CSN Giveaway and you could win a $60 Gift Certificate to any CSN store of your choice!

Ben turns 1 and Play Group!

2010-08-21T15:22:00.002-05:00

This past Tuesday we went to Ben's 1st birthday party (no, not my Ben!) He was so stinkin cute, as were all the cutie patooties there and we had a great time celebrating him and visiting with our new friends.

they were so cute playing together!

Thursday we had playgroup and decided to give the "Big Kids" group a try. This was hard for me since I have really enjoyed getting to know the Moms at Little Kids group, but Bear is just so rambunctious I thought he might be better suited playing with the older kids. He had a really fun time and I had a great time getting to know some of the other Mom's from our church. I also got to eat some delicious coconut cake so it was definitely a win-win! As you can see, someone was too busy playing to get his picture taken.

Weekend Round Up

2010-08-17T23:12:00.003-05:00

When we lived just south of Memphis we were really close to Pawpaw and Gigi's house. We went to visit at least once a month, but usually much more often. Moving farther away from them has been really hard on us but we understand and trust Gods will for our lives. It was our first time back since the big move this past weekend and it was an adventure to say the least. Let's start from the beginning. Last Wednesday we went to see Addison down in Fayetteville as he moved into the dorms. Big man on campus - lock up your daughters!

When we pulled into the parking lot, Regina was hugging the boys and looked down at our front tire and said, "ooh, need to check that out" and sure enough, when Ben looked at it he said that we needed a new tire. Blech. Of course, since it was on the front, we could not just get one new tire, we had to get two. Double blech. So, we call around and get someone to change them and luckily they can be done by the time we head out Friday around lunch. No big deal, right? Well sorta. In order to drop the car off, we had to take Ben's Honda over...and she doesn't have air. August. Real feel 110. No air. Heaven help us! But, we managed and Jackson, being the goofball he is, thought it was super fun to ride in Dad's car with the windows down. I digress. I like to leave the house clean before we go on a trip but the boys were trying their hardest to unite their messy forces against me. Exhibit A.

We finally get on the road, heading to Pawpaw and Gigi's with Luke screaming most of the way because homeboy does not like being in the car, when our back tire blows out - I kid you not! We were maybe 10 minutes from their house when Ben had to pull over and put us on a doughnut. We just had to laugh, because seriously, 3 tires in one day, what can you do but laugh. We were so happy to finally be there, especially the boys. They have really missed them.

As you can see, they each took their turn snuggling PawPaw

Friday night while trying to show off his mad crawling and pulling up skills, Luke got a little too excited and got his very first fat lip. Poor thing.

Something we didn't miss? The intense humidity. It was so, so humid there. I kept trying to take pictures outside and my lens would fog up!

Sunday came too soon, as it always does and we headed back home. We stopped in R'ville at Reginas where we were well fed and got to visit with Ria. Another plus was that the big boys could swim, Luke could nap and I could shop at Kroger. Woot. We had a blast visiting everyone and had a great weekend...can't wait to do it again!

A Box of Memories

2010-08-12T20:56:00.003-05:00

Our church does a wonderful clothing ministry each year where they take donations from people within the church and then set up the family life center with tons of clothes to give to the community in need. I just love that. Anything that will bless those less fortunate is something I'm very passionate about. I felt God move in me to donate to the clothing drive when we were in church this past Sunday - if you knew how many bags of clothes I have to give away, you would be thinking big deal bethany...you needed to get rid of those clothes anyway! And it's true, it was no sacrifice for me to give my or ben's clothes away. The kicker? I felt God telling me to give the boys baby clothes too. I had two boxes of baby clothes. Ones that I thought I might consign or garage sale and another of just random stuff that nobody would probably buy and that I secretly wanted to hang on to. I dont know why, I'm just sentimental like that. As I was going through the boxes, choosing what would go and what would stay, I was flooded with memories. I mean, essentially two little lives have been lived in what was in this box. Laughs, crys, the first time they said Mama or Dada. It was overwhelming. But, the Bible tells us, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Col 3:2. God has been so good to us, blessing our family beyond imagination, it is my pleasure to be able to bless someone else with these clothes. So, I just gave it all away. Save a few very special outfits that went in their memory box, the rest will clothe another little boy. I hope that the love, grace and mercy of Jesus will pour out to others through these clothes and I'm so thankful God allowed me to play a tiny part in it.

Memorial

2010-08-10T14:25:00.002-05:00

We went to Silver Dollar City a few weeks ago (Ben actually already wrote a post I just need to add pictures to it) and on the way home we stopped by this memorial right outside of Rogers. So many people in our families have served in the military, Ben's Dad in Vietnam, so it was especially moving to us. Here are a few shots I took while we were there:

Weekend Round Up

2010-08-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

Man was it ever a crazy weekend! We have gone 90 miles an hour since we moved here and this weekend was no exception! Friday my mom came to visit and spent the day with me and the boys. We went to Target, ate lunch at Chick Fil A and then that evening headed out to the Friday Summer Fun on the square. Jackson rode his first horse.

I drank some yummy lemonade

Jackson and Nonni got red tongues from a slushie

and we saw some of our sweet friends from church

- it was a great time!

Saturday morning was wonderful - Ben made me coffee and my mom made everyone breakfast, all while watching the boys -Heaven!

After breakfast and some play time, we headed out to the Farmer's Market and then to see Toy Story 3, Jackson's very first movie! He had the best time and was so good. I was a little worried that he might want to leave or get up but no, he was content to just sit in that seat and watch the whole movie. Of course, in true Jackson style, once it was over and the spanish version of "You've got a friend in me" started playing he went to the very front of the theater and started dancing. Oh to be so care-free again :) Saturday evening we went to a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" with our Sunday School class and had a wonderful time getting to know and fellowship with new friends.

Today we said good bye to Nonni, went to church and then had lunch with the Davenports. The restaurant was ridiculously hot but the company could not have been better. We ended the weekend with a slice of Nonni's pie. And now? Now, I'm exhausted!
- Bethany

sweet relief

2010-08-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

Can you tell

who is happy to not be teething right now?

You guessed it.

It's me - ha!

it's strangely quiet in here

2010-08-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

We missed the library last week because we were sick and were excited to go back today. We've taken advantage of Toddler Story Time every Tuesday or Wednesday since we've moved here and have really, really enjoyed it. Sadly, since school is back in session for some, the story time is over and it was pretty empty at the Library this morning. That can be a good thing, the selection was great! But it can also be a bad thing, like your big mouth toddler making his presence clearly known to all who stopped by the library this morning. Oh well. We'll make the best of it. We got out of their with our usual seven books, one for story time each night until we make it back again. Last week my favorite book from our pile was Slinky Malinki, Open the Door - it is so cute. If you find it at your local library, we definitely recommend it.

My favorite so far this week? The Great Pig Escape.

Funny stuff. I think I might enjoy the boys library books as much as they do :)

todays program is brought to you by the letter M

2010-08-03T10:23:00.001-05:00

Today I was working with Jackson on how to spell his name. I wrote it on the chalkboard and we went over it a few times when he asked if he could have a turn. He said, "I'll write your name Mommy." And then he said, "Mommy starts with M?" and I said, "Yep, so start with an M" and he drew this:

I kid you not. i dont know if he could do it again or not. I ran to post the picture too quickly to ask him to do it again, ha! That boy never ceases to amaze me.

precious!

2010-07-30T22:48:00.001-05:00

Jackson asked to rock Luke to sleep right before bedtime. He sings "Jesus loves You", gives kisses, snuggles him and then tells our cat to "get away from the baby" - the best part if you ask me :) Sorry the quality is so bad but we had the lights turned down since we were getting them ready for bed.

one on one

2010-07-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

Tonight Ben and Jackson are out and about having some "dad and bear" one on one time. We try and give the boys as much individualized attention as we can, but man, it's so difficult to feel like you're really letting each of them know how special they are. While they were out I got to have some very special one on one time with Luke. My little man. Gosh I just love him. I love how he calls for me when I leave the room, how he lets me snuggle him as much as I want to and how easy going his spirit is. The house was so quiet with the two big boys gone, we were able to just love on eachother until he drifted off to sleep. My little Luke...snug as a bug in a ~~sleepsack~~ rug. :)

one rainy day in july

2010-07-20T20:43:00.001-05:00

I have so many blog posts swirling around in my head but thanks to two never tiring little boys, I rarely get them down in print. I take pictures to support what I plan on typing buy many never make it to this screen. I'm going to work on that from here on out and even if I have to backdate them, I don't want the memories to fade. Here is our day from last week. It seemed like it rained for 38 days straight and we were forced to be creative inside. Don't feel too sorry for us though, we made out alright :)

We baked cookies

Got a great picture of Jackson's stinky face

played with our train table

watched brother play with the train table

and just had a really great day together. I love our fun days inside but am realllly looking forward to the cool, fall days we're going to spend out!

I miss my daddy

2010-07-20T14:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was hard on Jackson. Really hard. He was missing his Dad even more than usual and let me know about it most of the day. Here is a video I got of him (he didn't know I was filming) where he got his play fireman radio out and asked, "Has anyone seen my daddy? Can you send him home for me?" Then I started filming (you may have turn it up):

7 months. Well 7 1/2 but who's counting?

2010-07-13T22:32:00.001-05:00

Our (not so) little Luke is 7 1/2 month's old. He is so stinkin cute and continues to be such a sweet boy. He will however tell you a thing or two about a thing or two when he's hungry. Speaking of his appetite, homeboy is over baby food. He wants real food - my sandwich at lunch instead of pureed butternut squash.

I've decided it's because I went to the time and effort of making all his baby food. When I was pregnant with jackson I was fortunate enough to stumble across a target coupon for organic baby food that had unlimited prints - needless to say I had 3 rubbermaids full of fab-o premade preservative free, organic baby food before he was even born! I waited till closer to 6 mths to really start in on baby food with Luke since nursing was fulfilling all his needs and somewhere around the 7 month mark he would start throwing these crazy fits when I would feed him the purees I had made. As you can see in the picture below he just wants to eat real food. Diced bananas, avocados, cheese, puffs, etc, he's all over it.

He's just growing up too fast for my taste. He has been crawling since 6 months, pulling up on everything since 6 and a half and just today he took a step from the ottoman to the couch! Our ped told us that the first one is the talker and the second one is the walker. True that Dr. P.

He's getting his top tooth in which will make a total of 3 teeth and is back to sleeping all night after a 2 week moving upset. Praise the Lord for that one.

My favorite thing about having two boys is getting to see their bond develop.

They love each other so much and even though Luke messes up his towers, train table and tries to steal his food on a regular basis, Jackson never, ever gets mad at him. They just really love each other so much and I could not be more proud to be their mom :)

"but he's so comfy that way"

2010-07-08T13:55:00.002-05:00

jackson loves to be naked. Or should I say half-naked. Maybe love isn't a strong enough word. I say, more than 10 times a day, "jackson, where are your underwear?" He takes them off when he goes to the bathroom and then just conveniently 'forgets' to put them back on. He doesn't understand why he can't walk around visitors or even outside without pants on. The other day at nap our convo went like this,

Me: You can't nap naked, where are your undies?
Jackson: Nah, it's ok, I'll just cover my winkie with a blanket.

Me: sigh. go get your undies:

Need further proof? Exhibit A while making cookies together, he somehow lost his underwear during the baking process:

"Can I turn the light on and see if the cookies are ready?"

Put your underwear back on son...

"Now can I have a cookie?"

picture update

2010-07-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of the boys that I love:

Luke smiling and crawling

I love this little boys laugh

mr. serious

ben took this shot and said, "that's a lot of hair in one frame, lol"

my biggest and littlest love

and a few of the beautiful northwest arkansas sky:

this is the view from our front door

Luke Crawling

2010-06-29T21:37:00.002-05:00

"Welcome to the Lion Show"

2010-06-29T21:17:00.002-05:00

My Online Devotion - 6/29

2010-06-29T15:01:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share this:

Jesus

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 (NKJV)

No study of the names of God could be complete without addressing the name of Jesus. The name Jesus is so familiar to us that it's difficult to imagine a time when it wasn't a part of our vocabulary. But despite its familiarity, there's meaning in this name that's not so obvious on the surface.

For starters, Jesus is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Yehowshuwa. Dig a little deeper and you find that the name Yehowshuwa comes from the words Jehovah and yasha. Jehovah is the personal name of God, and the word yasha literally means "to be saved" or "to be delivered." When we put this all together, we see that the name Jesus, when taken back to its Hebrew roots, means "God saves."

It doesn't get any more spot-on than that! And it brings new meaning to the statement above: "He will save His people from their sins." The name of Jesus wasn't randomly pulled out of a hat. It was specifically and deliberately chosen to identify God's Son, because everything about Him, from the cradle to the grave, was about the salvation He would secure for us.

Every time we say the name Jesus, it's a declaration of what He was all about. We declare His earthly mission and His eternal passion to save. He is the God who is not interested in serving Himself, but in saving others…saving us…even though we don't deserve it.

Yet despite the fact we don't deserve to be saved, He has saved us. Not because of who we are, but simply because of who He is. And there's no stronger exclamation mark of God's heart to save than the name Jesus!

- crosswalk.com

we're here

2010-06-27T15:15:00.001-05:00

We've been in our new home for a little over a week now and we are slowly but surely settling in. We love our new town and are excited about all of the fun activities going on around us. Yesterday we headed out to the Farmer's Market downtown and had a blast.

Tonight we're going to the Celebrate America festival and will have pictures to follow. Since moving here Luke has started pulling up on everything and tries to cruise along the furniture. Slow down mister. Slow it down.

The boys are really loving the new house - especially having a room that is completely theirs to play in. Nothing is off limits in there, just fun and tons of toys.

I know they enjoy having a place in the house that isn't filled with "don't touch" and "no" - let me tell you, I do too :)

Garden Update 6/15 (alternately titled a million pictures!)

2010-06-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

My mums from the fall that are blooming!

Roma Tomatoes

The cherry tomato is finally 'fruiting'

Grape Tomatoes turning red

something so beautiful abut a cucumber blossom

the cucumber vine growing up the tree

roses

'lasagna' pot of herbs

banana tree

my mother's day jasmine

do you see it trying to grow up the bricks?

1st jalapeno!

baby cucumber

gag me with a straw

2010-06-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

seriously people - he put his apple juice straw in the ketchup and drank it. I told you it was like a food group in our house. blech. he, of course, thought it was hilarious.

on the move again

2010-06-07T13:30:00.002-05:00

Ben got a new job in NWA so here we go again - we're moving! We only have a few weeks until we have to get gone so it's going to be a whirlwind next few weeks. We're really excited though and can't wait to see what God has in store for us in our new town. We drove up there this past weekend to see a few different houses and finally decided on this one, here are a few pics:

6 months

2010-06-01T13:33:00.004-05:00

Happy 6 months sweet Luke. We sure do love you to pieces.

first crop

2010-05-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

We have a mini garden growing in our back yard - here are our first crops!

Grape tomatoes

Roma Tomato flowering

close up of the first pepper

taking notes

2010-04-19T20:55:00.002-05:00

a few things I want to remember:

tonight me, ben and jackson were making gas noises on our arms. We were taking turns to see who could be the loudest, cracking up in between and when it got to my turn I scared Luke so much it took him 5 minutes to calm down. Note to self, he didn't think it was funny...

speaking of luke my favorite thing he does right now is when he's getting tired you can turn him toward you and he'll stand up on his chunky legs, grab your cheeks with his hands, rest his forehead on your forehead and let out a big, sweet sigh. It's priceless.

Oh and today, we went to target, I bought Luke some 12 month onesies. They were too small. Ben said he obviously needed twosies. har har har.

I took Jackson to lunch today because he was SO good while we ran a million errands. Once we got home and I handed him his happy meal he said, "thanks mom." then he looked down at his plate and said, "and thank YOU mcdonalds."

jackson is obsessed with telling stories. He'll talk about what he just did but say, "Once upon I time I went in the backyard and played with my soccer ball. The end." Oh and imagine him smacking his lips in between each sentence. I dont know. He's ghetto like that.

Last, evidently jackson lost his ninnies over the weekend. He called me from the bathroom and said, "Mooom, I can't find my ninnies. oh no, maybe I lost them!"

honest much

2010-04-12T22:58:00.002-05:00

So tonight jackson was acting out and I asked him why he was acting that way. "I just wanted to be ugly", he said.

Well, I thought, he gets one point for being honest. Little did he know that all he needed to buy a ticket to time out was 1 point.

A Bouncy Tale

2010-04-02T09:18:00.002-05:00

Maybe the Easter Bunny could take some bouncing lessons from us...

Happy Good Friday Everyone!

gripping it

2010-03-30T15:02:00.000-05:00

Here's our little luke-a-bug

He has a thing about gripping a blanket with that hand. So cute. He's an amazing sleeper but is very particular. When he's tired he wants his blanket and pacifer. Immediately. Then, well, he's out.

Chase me

2010-03-29T09:44:00.001-05:00

Somebody has

the best

Daddy

EVER!

Help! I've fallen and I can't find a sale!

2010-03-25T14:04:00.001-05:00

The other day Jackson was "driving" around in the backyard while I was cleaning the kitchen. I heard him scream, "OOOUUCH!" Of course I came running out the back door to see what was wrong. I thought to myself as I was running, I just checked on this kid 2 seconds ago! I asked him, "What's wrong? What happened?" He replied, "Oh I'm just pretending I hurt my leg and need to go to the hospital but I can't find the hospital back here." I told him I could show him where it was.

"No", he said, "I'll just go to Target."

reading

2010-03-21T10:32:00.001-05:00

Jackson likes to "read" to himself. This morning he was reading through Green Eggs and Ham. It started like this:

"Sam I am. I am Sam. Try my ham!"

"Bisitors"

2010-03-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Jackson was really excited about our company ( as were we!) this past weekend. He kept calling them his "bisitors". He would say, "Where are my bisitors?", "Are my bisitors staying the night?" and at bedtime, "But I dont want to go to bed because I really need my bisitors!" He was slightly in love with Annabelle. Oh and he wanted her bow on at all times. If she took it off he would tell Ashley to please put it back on. Little wierd child of mine.

My cousin Ashley, her husband Sam and their precious little girl Annabelle came to visit us from Texas this past weekend - we had the best time! Also, our Aunt Missy, Uncle Jackie, our other cousin Alex and his girlfriend Lizzy came up from Meridian to see all of the babies...

We were all showered with a ton of presents - please come back again this weekend!

Oh and I won a "Digiorno Pizza Party" from Houseparty and we had it while everyone was here on Sunday. Yep, that's right. My 5th grade class got better grades than yours (sticking tongue out). So hmpf.

We had such a great weekend. Hope ya'll did too!

I wish they stayed little forever...

2010-03-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

time's a wastin...

2010-03-11T22:26:00.000-06:00

If I thought life was crazy with a toddler it didn't have anything on life with two wild eyed and bushy tailed little boys. As is evidenced by my lack of blogging, we are just pretty busy these days. It's not anything out of the ordinary that occupies our days. Just your regular, run of the mill, extraordinary life that we have been blessed with.

Luke turned 3 months old March 1st. I'm not really sure how/when that happened. I can't even explain how fast things have gone this time around. It's like I woke up and he was 3 month's old. He rolled over for the first time this past Saturday - those chubby legs defied all laws of physics with that one! He laughs, coos and has these rambly "conversations" where he makes it very clear that he has something important to say. Oh and you better give the boy eye contact when he's talking to you. If not, the conversation immediately turns into a hissy fit. You look back at him, he smiles and picks up where he left off. Evidently my genes run strong. I'm scared to put this into print because I just know I'm going to jinx it but he, dare I say it out loud, sleeps all night long now. Like, from 8pm to 7am sleeps all night. Thank You Jesus!

Oh Jackson. Where do I even begin with this boy? He is so crazy. I'm laughing out loud as I type this. He is just so fun, a complete joy. Rotten as it gets but hilarious all the while. He talks non-stop. I get asked questions all.day.long. It goes like this:
Jackson: "Why Mommy?"
Me: "I don't know why Jackson."
Jackson: "Well why don't you know Mommy?"
I've just started making stuff up.
Jackson:"What's his name Mom?"
Me: "Bob."
Jackson: "Oh."

Jackson is very observant and takes in the world like a sponge. He knows his alphabet by recognition and memorization, he knows what sound each letter makes and is starting to read 3-letter words. He loves for you to read to him and would read every book we own all at once if you let him. I wish I could convey his personality to those of you who don't get to spend time with him every day. He is hilarious and sassy all at the same time. It's getting really hard for Ben and me to get on to him without laughing in the process. I'm just going to start documenting conversations on here so I don't forget them.

Here's what happened the other day: We were watching Super Why with lunch. Nothing new. It was about the 3 little pigs. Fast forward to about 30 minutes later he's getting pretty cranky as we head to naptime. I don't remember what he did but he got put in time-out. While in time out I hear him blowing in my direction.

Me: "What are you doing?"
Jackson: "Blowing you down."

Aaaaand Nap!

$25 Kroger Gift Card Giveaway!

2010-03-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

We'd love for you to enter the Kroger Gift Card Giveaway on our other blog! Head over here and enter today!

a year ago...almost

2010-03-02T20:58:00.000-06:00

I found this in my notes on facebook and forgot that I had written it. I had been tagged in a "list 25 random things about yourself" deal. For those of you not on facebook:

25 things
Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 2:14pm

1) My mom actually had a different name picked out for me until a friend of hers named her daughter that EXACT name 2 weeks before I was born. I should totally thank her though - I got the better end of that stick.

2) I hate negativity. There is always, always, always something positive you can say or find in any situation. You'd be amazed at what a good word can do and how powerful your negative words are. I've seen so many broken hearts and broken people due to what others have said.

3) Building on #2 I avoid the media at all cost. It is full of negativity - especially concerning body image. If you know me I'm pro self esteem and magazines especially do nothing to help that cause.

4) I had Jackson's name picked out back in 2001 after babysitting an adorable little boy named Jeffrey Jackson ------. They called him Jack but Jackson is what stuck with me. ok, we've actually got all of our kids names picked out. muahahahaha.

5) I ran a 5k when I was 4 1/2 months pregnant with Jackson. I plan on doing this with all of my pregnancies, Lord willing.

6) I was really mean up until the 2nd or 3rd grade. Like stab people with plyers and put dishwashing soap in their icee mean.

7) I dislike denominations in churches and more importantly people who feel like they get to go through a bigger, shinier gate in Heaven because they are part of a more spirit filled denomination. I mean, really?

8) I'm not shy. At.All. You have something you want to talk about but have been too embarassed to say something? I'm your girl.

10) I really get upset with judgemental people. Passing judgement is one of the worst attributes you can have...especially on people you just "heard" something about. There are so many other positive, encouraging things you can be spending your energy on. I promise. Especially when most of the time, you're wrong.

11) I wholeheartedly believe in Mental Health. If you had a sinus infection you wouldn't hesitate to go the dr...why is your depression any different?

12) I love wood floors. The real kind that are really dark and kind of worn. So southern.

13) My family on my moms side is so stinkin fun. We have parties for just about anything. Everyone wants to be part of "the family" - I miss being closer to everyone.

14) I'm going to get my PhD in the next few years. Move over Dr. Phil. Shi Shi Sha.

15) I have 4 really close friends that live in 3 different states than me.

16) I love being an adult. I can eat powdered doughnuts for dinner, stay up till 4 am watching movies or stay in my pj's all day if I wanted.

17) I have one brother who is 11 years and 11 months (almost to the day) younger than me. We are surprisingly really close.

18) I'm addicted to couponing. This year alone I've stayed under budget and saved over $500. I could fill my living room floor with my 'stash' of free stuff.

19) I'm a conservative hippy. Politically and Morally I'm pretty conservative but I'm all about organic food, breastfeeding, baby wearing, attatchment style parenting, etc.

20) I only buy organic milk. No exceptions. Ben's dad freaked me out about this one.

21) I work the overnight shift on friday and saturdays at a hospital in town and I actually really like it.

22) I could chip and dip myself to death. I can't put into words how much I love to snack.

23) If I were to be stranded on a desert island I would take Ben, Jackson and the glazed cast iron pot I got for Christmas

24) My best friend Mary and I went by code names every time we went out. Who knows who people across 3 states think we are. lol.

25) I frequently talk in accents, random ones. Just out of the blue. This one I gratefully owe to my mother. :)

my little cowboy

2010-02-26T09:25:00.002-06:00

Here is a picture of Ben as a child. He said he loved "being" a cowboy...he even had an alias: Bucky. How cute is that?

Well, here is our little cowboy riding Ben's Mom's hobby horse. Jackson named him Bullseye. And several times a day they, "ride like the wind."

Dear Mama's Cowboy,

Stop being so stinkin cute already.

Love,
Ma

just a swangin'

2010-02-25T14:26:00.005-06:00

One Fun day in February

2010-02-23T09:25:00.001-06:00

This past weekend we took Jackson to Krispy Kreme for the first time to see how the doughnuts were made. Afterward we spent some fun time at a local park. You don't get a 60 degree day in February and stay inside :)

Don't worry...we took Luke too :)

Freebie Friday

2010-02-19T09:16:00.001-06:00

Jackson loves tv. I mean, maybe love isn't a strong enough word. He is mesmerized by it whenever it is on. For this reason, he is limited to two hours a day total. That sounds like a lot, two hours, but to a kid that is stuck inside because it is raining, snowing, sleeting and is 15 degrees outside, it goes by oh so quickly. Most days he watches PBS in the mornings and then we play, read etc until naptime. When Dad gets home in the afternoon there is no need for tv because, well, his best friend is there to play with him.

Fridays are different though. I let Jackson have a free day. I want my children to know that if you work hard and play by the rules then you get rewarded. Too much restriction is a bad thing. So, on fridays he can watch as much tv as he wants. It's friday and here he is. Playing with cars, in a crazy purple tent (made by yours truly) watching toy story. We love fridays :)

happy valentine's day

2010-02-14T08:44:00.002-06:00