Thursday, December 31, 2009

Thankful Thursday - 2009

As 2009 winds down and 2010 is just around the corner, I can't help but reflect on what a spectacular year 2009 has been.

I couldn't ask for a husband that is more loving or gracious than Andy. He loves so unconditionally and daily inspires me to not settle for less than the best.

I couldn't ask for two children that are more fun to parent than Samuel and Joseph. The joy they bring to our lives is inexpressible.

I couldn't ask for better family and friends that supports me and encourages me to grow.

I couldn't ask for better health and an environment that allows me to grow.

2010 is so full of hope and wonder with our little one on the way. What joy it will be to welcome in another one of God's children into our lives and have the gift of parenting this child and watching their life unfold.

We had quite a full year in 2009, and 2010 is promising to bring just as much excitement.

So, thanks to 2009 for the lessons you've taught us and the joy you brought. We failed at some and others we succeeded. But, with great hope we look ahead to 2010 knowing that:

"he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

We hold on to that truth knowing that the trials and tribulations in life are only making us become more like Christ if we allow them to.

And that is something worth celebrating!

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas

This picture was just forwarded to me. I don't know who this baby is, but how cute is this?!?

Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Quote of the Day

"If we as parents are too busy to listen to our children,
how then can they understand a God who hears..."
~V.Gilbert Beers

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Names!!!

We're getting really close to nailing down some names, but we want to hear from you! Now is your chance to tell us what you think we should name our next baby!!!

Leave us your ideas of both girl and boys names that go with Samuel and Joseph in the comments section of this post. (We're mostly interested in girls names).

As Joseph would say 'redy...doe!' (ready, go!)

*If we choose your name, you just might get a prize :)

Monday, December 21, 2009

Camera is Broken

I'm not gonna name any names, but some FROG in our family broke the screen to our camera last night. Good thing I bought some extra warranty on it. Problem is we can't leave our house to go to Best Buy and actually see if it can be repaired and even if it can be they'll still have it awhile before we get it back. No camera for Christmas... I'm beyond sad.

Please pray for a miracle!


***UPDATE***

We took the camera to Best Buy and they sent it off. It should take about 2-3 weeks they said, but no charge to us. We made the executive decision to buy a cheap back up camera last night so that we would (hopefully) at least have one camera working at all times. Not what we wanted to do, but not having a camera for Christmas wasn't an option. I suppose that it is our Christmas gift to ourselves this year. UGG.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Snow Storm of '09

A friend called this morning and as I answered, she said "Tell Samuel to stop praying for snow!!!" She was scheduled to fly out of town to visit family for Christmas today. That of course did not happen.

We have broken the record for the biggest snowstorm in December here in Central Virginia and Samuel couldn't be happier. We've had around 2 feet of snow!

It's been such a relaxing and fun-filled weekend, just like we imagined, but we can't forget the dozens of people who are stranded in their cars on the highway and the thousands of people who are without power. Fun for us, yes, but quite a different story for others.

With Aunt Juju, Papa Bear and Oma here we celebrated Christmas together tonight. This sure will be a Christmas to remember.

******

Joseph playing with his 'buckle board' that Papa Bear and Oma made for him. He's obsessed with it. Look at that thing. It's amazing!!!

They had to park on another street and walk all of the LARGE presents down to our house, which of course is the last one on the street. They were such amazing troopers fighting the blizzard weather to spend the weekend with us.

My sweet husband humoring me and measuring the snow for me. During this picture it measured 13 1/2 inches.



Just about the cutest picture I've ever seen! An aunt with her nephew... what a precious bond.

Joseph claiming that he's ready to go play in the snow! Look at those thighs.... I just want to BITE them :)

Corporate church has been cancelled tomorrow so we are hosting a neighborhood worship time at our house. I'm so excited! What a great way to finish off 2009!

Papa Bear and Oma are at a hotel tonight and are heading back in the morning, but since Aunt Juju's car is stuck under 2 feet of snow in our driveway and our road hasn't been touched, she's stuck here :) I think we're gonna convince her to just move in!!!

In other news... the boys' capes are done and I'm on to their car caddies! Pictures to come.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Car Caddy



Here is my version of the cozy car caddy I shared with you earlier. I had a blast making it. Handmade by Jill did such an awesome job with her tutorial making it so easy to follow. I used her pattern as well as some others' ideas online.

This one is now in the hands of the little boy I watch, we call him our sweet Samuel #2. I hope he loves it. He loves cars as much as our boys do.

Back to sewing! (I love Christmas time).

In other news... we are suppose to get 'lots' of snow tonight and tomorrow! Aunt Julie, Papa Bear and Oma are all coming in this evening for the weekend. Should be a very fun- filled weekend.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Thankful Thursday

As I reflect on our past week, what I am most thankful for is the lessons our children have taught us. I don't even want to imagine what our lives would be like without them...

So, today I am thankful for these lessons from the boys:

Slow Down

Enjoy the Journey

Cherish Time With Others

Value People and Not Things

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

Think Big

Before we had kids we went at lightning speed and never looked back. Crossing off things on our to-do-list was our goal. Now with our kids, we've learned, life is not about getting things done, so much as enjoying the journey and cherishing the time you have with each other.

They always want to be with us. They love people and are so thrilled when we have guests or are going to be visiting with friends. They don't get overwhelmed at the preparation that needs to go into it, they don't worry about how the house looks, they don't worry about a thing. They are so excited to be with people, everything else pales in comparison.

Our house is FAR from being clean most days and I'm 'starting' to love it that way. It means that our lives are full and we've been busy living. One day (who knows when that will be) I'll have plenty of time to keep things tidy. But, right now, when everything is put in it's place it usually means one thing... no fun is being had! And that's not how I want to live.

When the boys talk about things, their minds are FULL of WONDER. They think big! They don't have a deep sense of reality and consider what is possible, they shoot really high and usually in their enthusiasm it encourages us to stop being so grounded and get a little riskier in our thinking. They keep us so vibrant and full of wonder. It is no coincidence that Jesus speaks of having faith like a child.

When I grow up, I want to be just like them!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Thankful Friday

Once again, I forgot to write our 'Thankful Thursday' post yesterday.

We sure have plenty to be thankful for this week:

~ I am out of the first trimester and have more energy now than I know what to do with. I love the 2nd trimester. It's such a blessing after such a slow and exhausting 13 weeks. I'm feeling awesome and am so excited to add another little bundle to our family.

~ We are getting our Christmas tree tomorrow. Such fun times!

~ Our church's Christmas party is tonight and we are getting together with Andy's coworkers tomorrow night. I love the Christmas season. It always encourages people to spend more time together.

~ It's late to mention it, but on December 3rd, it marked Andy's 3rd year anniversary of coming home from his deployment and meeting Samuel for the first time. We didn't get a picture of them until the next night so Andy wanted to be in the same pose they were for Samuel's 20 week old photo.



I can't believe it's been 3 years already...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Samuel's Answered Prayers

Our sweet Samuel prays for snow practically on a daily basis. He loves the stuff. Well, this past Saturday God answered this little boy's prayers!

Andy was away in Lynchburg for the Marine Corps for the weekend and had been really busy with several different responsibilities the week prior so we were all taking his absence a little hard.

I knew there was a chance of snow, but of course didn't tell Samuel for fear of it not coming true.

The Lord was so gracious and brought snow our way on a day when our spirits needed to be lifted. It was the perfect start to our weekend :)

Seeing their prayers answered is such an amazing faith experience for them. Samuel knows that only God can make it snow and he was so thankful and kept thanking God all day for the snow.

Faith like a child... there is nothing more beautiful!

The day was finished off with some hot cocoa.

Lots of cuddling!

And a story and gift with our advent calendar.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tree Topper Poll

I've just added a new poll on our left sidebar. And I'm dying to know what your answer is... I've got to make a new one this year and I'm trying to figure out what to do!

Please help.

*UPDATE*

I've decided to sew a star for the top of the tree. Thanks to all of you who answered the poll. For some reason I think a star is the perfect tree topper. Looks like many of you agree :) Thanks, friends for your input.

Christmas Presents for the Boys

Yesterday I took the boys to the fabric store to pick out some fabric that they like because I am making them some gifts for Christmas. Here is what Joseph picked:

So cute, huh? Curious George... of course.

Samuel picked out:


which is too cute! It's also from my favorite fabric designer.. He's got good taste :) He also picked out a fire trucks fabric too that I can't find online.

So here are the projects I'm making:

Cozzy Car Caddy, found here.



And capes.

So excited to get sewing!

If you're looking for some sewing ideas for Christmas, check out this website. There are 100 different ideas!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Quilting For Peace

I just found out about this book through a crafting blog I follow.

It's fantastic!

When I lived in North Carolina our quilting guild that I was a part of sewed baby blankets for babies in the nearby area that were born with drug addictions. I had never felt so inspired when I was crafting than when I was sewing those baby quilts.

Since then I haven't found another group that does something similar.

I'm so inspired to find this and have some fresh motivation to sew!

It has 25 different ways you can use your sewing to help people all around the world.

The Lord has clearly given me a gift and a desire for crafting, especially sewing and he requires that I use those gifts to benefit others. What a great way to bless with my talents.

Let the sewing begin :)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

All About Joseph

Here I am to sit down and try to recap what's going on with our sweet Joseph so when our next one is this age and someone asks, "What was Joseph like at this age?" I can say, "I don't remember... I'll go read the blog." :)

We are amazed at how much Joseph says. He is constantly talking. He is up to saying 4and 5 word sentences. He started talking a little before Samuel did, but he's progress just incredibly. I have done a horrible job documenting his progress. I can't even remember when he started 'really' talking. I haven't written in his baby book in months, and haven't even mentioned some of his pediatrician appointments on here as well.

Some people, mostly non-parents have no idea why this is of importance to mothers... and I wish I had some grand explanation. But, all I have to say is that, when you reach 50 and your kids start asking you when they did certain things because their kids are doing x,y or z, you can have some idea because you've written a few of them down. Especially if you have more than one, they all seem to flow together.

"How many pictures can you possibly take of your children?" And the answer is... NEVER ENOUGH! They change so quickly and it all becomes a blur if you don't document it. Our children are such a gift, I don't want to forget anything. They fill our lives with so much joy and we learn so many lessons each day having them here. I never want to forget the lessons they are teaching me. They make us want to be more like Jesus every single day.

Anyways... on to Joseph...

His favorite things to sleep with are his bink(blanket), Curious George, and his babydoll. (Ever since he knew he was expecting a sibling, he's been obsessed with caring for babies. We have a couple from when I was a little girl and also one that Samuel got when we were expecting Joseph so he could practice. That seems to be his favorite one).

He is obsessed with mulk(milk). He doesn't like water than much, and those are the only two things we offer him to drink. So, we have to water down his milk with water just so he doesn't end up having 6 glasses of whole milk a day! The kid obviously doesn't need to be gaining any weight.

He's huge! This kid was once the kid that the pediatricians were worried about and recommended to me that I start adding olive oil to his food to fatten him up. And it seems like just with them mentioning that idea he started to gain weight overnight. We have no idea what the magic was, but he hasn't looked back. He still weighs more than Samuel. Not by much, but he's still winning in the weight department.

He loves his family beyond words. He is so incredibly lovey. He gives kisses and hugs non-stop. Whether its his brother, Mom, Dad, Gamba, stuffed animals, pictures in books, he doesn't care. He just loves to love.

He loves to read. His very first words when he wakes up in the morning (after "Mommy/Daddy out crib downstairs") are "Mommy/Daddy book me". His favorite books are Hush Little Baby and his Busy Bible.

Joseph loves to wrestle and play chase. Two things that have been around for quite awhile and I think will stay for a long time. His newest favorite game is the 'underwear game'. It's where Andy and the boys all get 'clean' underwear and run around the house playing chase and then hit each other with their underwear. No head shots, though. They have to sit out in the penalty box if they do. Then every so often they start to wrestle and then continue running around again. Good thing our downstairs has a continuous path around it. It's a huge selling point for a home if you have kids. We'll never consider a house without one if we have the choice :)

He's getting more curls by the day. As soon as I stopped nursing our boys they grew hair immediately. And Joseph's has been coming in dark, which I'm head over heels in love with.

This kid loves to get his picture taken. Unlike his brother he will stand there and say 'cheese' for 10 straight seconds if that's how long it takes me to get a good shot. He's such a good sport. Hence the 80% more pictures of Joseph than Samuel.

He loves penguins. I don't know why, but he does. It's adorable.

And since he's a boy... he obviously loves ducks(trucks). Big ones, little ones, wooden ones, plastic ones, it doesn't matter! Even if their wheels don't move, it doesn't matter to him. He's easy to please.

Joseph is obsessed with eating. As if his figure doesn't hint at that fact. He is still in love with bananas. He easily eats 4 a day some days. He calls them "baanananans" We ask him to say "banana" just so we can laugh practically on an hourly basis.

This kid is as tough as nails. He can fall down and completely wipe out and hardly lets out a whimper. It's amazing. Guess the extra padding really pays off :)

I'm really bad at writing out how a kid actually pronounces words, but some of his pronunciations of words are completely worth documenting. I'm going to have to have Andy help me.

Stay tuned.

November Photos

Here are the rest of the November pictures that I wanted to post. They are totally out of order, but I just needed to get them on here before January rolls around :) Enjoy!

Practicing safe kitchen habits.

Left alone for 3 minutes with stamps!

Enjoying the indoor pool at the hotel that Poppy and Nana stayed at when they came to visit for Thanksgiving. When we drive by the hotel that they stayed at Joseph exclaims "Poppy go there!"

My sweet Samuel relaxing in the jacuzzi. He did NOT want to risk drowning. :)

Williamsburg, VA with Papa Bear and Oma



Lots of time was spent in the leaves this November.

I simply cannot get ENOUGH of this kid!

Color lessons with cars and legos is always a success!

Downtown Charlottesville, VA with GranRan and Gigi

The famous shirt that Samuel used to break the news of our pregnancy with Joseph. It shockingly fit Joseph. This is how they broke the news to their Grandparents. This shirt and Samuel telling them that "there's a belly in mommy's tummy!" What's that Sam? "Um, there's a BABY in mommy's belly!" Then they got it :)

Friday, December 4, 2009

Date Night With Mommy

After many home haircuts and much money saved, I thought it was about time to introduce Samuel to his first real salon haircut. We built it up and made it a big outing for Samuel and me. It was our first date night together and we were going to get ice cream afterwards. We made some great memories and he did fabulous at the hair cutters.



I just had to take a picture of this enormous sunday we got. Look how big that thing is... and yes we ate it all!

It was a great night. We're both looking forward to our next date. But, Samuel says next time, he doesn't want to get his hair cut :)

Katya is HOME!

About 2 weeks ago we drove to Dulles Airport in DC to welcome home the Finley's newest family member, Katya. After a year of praying for this day to arrive it was quite an exciting time.

Our boys are really starting to see some of their BIG prayers answered. It's such a faith growing experience for us all. We are so thrilled to be a part of such a beautiful story.





Always room for one more!

The Kids

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