The Eckert Escapades

Ice Storm

2012-01-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

An ice storm hit our area right as I was suppose to be heading up to DC to visit a friend and her brand new baby girl. I was really disappointed about my cancelled plans. But, it ended up being a really special weekend for our family. And, I was able to go the next weekend. So glad to know that God's plans are always better than my own!

Winter Activities

2012-01-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Samuel is getting so creativity with his drawings.

Winter is for tights!

Joe Monster emerging from his cave.

Andy Turns 31

2012-01-15T20:54:00.000-05:00

Joseph made almost the entire dessert for Andy's birthday.
He is becoming quite the "bakery" as he likes to call himself :)

Andy with his oreo truffles and his three treasures.

We went to a children's museum in Lynchburg. It was amazing!

The cards from the kids.

We were able to leave all three kids (for the first time) and get away
to a B&B in Staunton, VA. It was fantastic!!!

Andy wanted a Middle Eastern pita sandwhich for dinner.
This is what I came up with. On our new birthday plate!

Classmates

2012-01-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

They were suppose to be reading on the couch.
Doesn't look like much reading is getting done.
But, oh the sibling bonding is going strong!

Reason #2882 we love to homeschool -
when the semester is getting a little rote,
putting up a tent to do our work in peps all of our spirits.

Baby Blues

2012-01-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

My sweet Mama met Andy before I did and as she was telling me about him she declared, "you two would make the most beautiful babies!" As much as I disagreed with everything she said when I was 17, that's one comment she made that I've got to say, "she was right!" Look at this sweet girl:

I have most certainly inherited her God-given love for children and it's becoming more evident with time that each one of our children seems to have a very special place in their hearts for babies as well. I'm eager to see how God is going to use that for His glory!

January Happenings

2012-01-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

Watching the weather tempt us with snow. We are not fond of mild winters.

Candlelight makes anything more special.

Sam's taking gymnastics at a larger more advanced facility now. He loves it.

Virginia's Countryside

2012-01-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

Our community group at church meets at a family's home a ways away. It is a gorgeous drive out there. Here are some of the works of God's hand we get to experience along the way.

Sweet Kiddos

2012-01-04T15:59:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T15:59:00.000-05:00

We were gearing up for a hike and ran into some neighborhood friends at the trailhead. We joined up and went on our adventure together. I was able to meander along and play with my camera while Andy had some good conversation. A perfect way to end a fantastic year!

We finished the night of with some homemade seltzer water and juice.
A huge hit.

Christmas with Extended Family

2011-12-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

We went to Maryland Christmas afternoon to celebrate with Andy's sister, mom and stepdad.

Their adorable (healthy version) gingerbread house!

The gorgeous present we got from Julie!

We went to Richmond to visit with Andy's dad and stepmom, but we didn't get any pictures there. I even had my camera. Frustrating! But imagine, our cute kids at a kid's museum with their happy grandparents here:

Then, my grandparents stopped by for a short visit on their way down to Florida for the winter. I did manage to take a couple pictures with them:

I just adore this picture of my grandma with Annabelle.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T14:17:00.000-05:00

Acting out the story of the birth of Christ as Andy read.

They chose the cutest little birth of Christ story this morning.

I think he liked what he got.

The boys and their pillows. So happy.

The world is complete in the boys' eyes. Annabelle has a cape, too!

A new Christmas morning tradition implemented by Daddy.
It also provided a great Christmas morning gift to neighbors!

Annabelle was sad she didn't get a sword.
So, Daddy saved the day and made her one.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas Preperations

2011-12-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

The makings of a waldorf doll

I asked them what they wanted for Christmas, and they replied
"Circle pillows that we make with you."
Not sure how they came up with that idea, but I loved every second of the
individual dates I took with them to make them.

Salt dough ornaments for family

Grayson and Annabelle's his and her capes.

Someone Turned 18 Months!

2011-12-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

Christmas Caroling

2011-12-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

We went Christmas caroling at a nursing home nearby last night and I just had to snap a picture of these precious ones in their Christmas attire.

Our Advent Season

2011-12-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

As we've been preparing our hearts and our home for Christ's birth, I've been especially enjoying the precious moments that my new camera can capture. While I haven't even found the time to read the manual, I've been pleased with the camera thus far. Here's a sneak peak of a few things that we've been up to.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

I Did It!

2011-12-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

I finally got up the courage to purchase my new camera! If it's possible to love a camera, I do. My progress will be slow, I'm certain of that, but I now can at least start the process! Eager to see what this thing can do!

A Gift That Gives Back

2011-12-14T23:21:00.002-05:00

If you are still looking for a Christmas present for that special someone, please consider purchasing one of these beautiful necklaces. Each necklace helps to provide water, food and medicine to a child in need. With this purchase you also provide income to the women who make them as they support their families.

Let me know if you're interested. They are $20 a piece and I will gift wrap and ship for an extra $2. Thanks!

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus

2011-12-14T16:20:00.001-05:00

A couple Sundays ago on December 4th, Samuel, followed Christ in baptism!

About a month ago our pastor approached us and told us our church was going to be having a baptism service. He was well aware that Samuel and Joseph both had accepted Christ and wanted to talk with us about them being baptized.

Having our children be baptized at such young ages was quite foreign to us. Neither one of us were baptized before the age of 18 and we weren't quite sure what was appropriate. So, we searched the Scriptures and dove into the topic and then we talked with some people we respected spiritually to hear their thoughts. We came away from all of that with the understanding that in Scripture as their first step of obedience to God people were baptized soon after they became believers, no matter their age.

So, when Andy took Samuel on a walk to discuss his thoughts on baptism, he immediately said he wanted to do it and asked Andy if he would baptize him! Knowing that this is his first real act of obedience to God after salvation he had no hesitations. Joseph said he wasn't ready.

Sam and Andy with our pastors Bill and Kyle

We truly believed that no matter what we felt about the timing of it all, that this was Samuel's act of obedience to God and that we were to not stand in the way if he decided that the timing was right. This is just one of many steps for us to stand aside and watch his faith mature.

Forgot to get a picture of just the two of them, so this is right before bed.

The service was beautiful. We had it at a local baptist church nearby since our church meets at an elementary school. There were only 2 people being baptized, Samuel and a 30 something year old man and over 70 people from our congregation were there! We sang some of my favorite hymns: 'Nothing but The Blood of Jesus', 'Before the Throne of God Above' and 'Jesus Paid It All'. Andy did in fact baptize Samuel.

Nothing but the Blood

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This kid is fearless when it comes to evangelizing. We are never surprised anymore when he senses the need to share his faith with others. When we asked him recently why he boldly told someone that when he died he was going to live forever with God in heaven, he said "So that they could become a christian and live in heaven forever, too!" Yes sir, Samuel, that is exactly why we share the good news!

Such a glorious event to celebrate during a season when my flesh is tempted to be convinced that Satan is winning more battles than God. The battle over Samuel's heart has been won, praise be to God!

Family Pictures

2011-12-12T18:46:00.001-05:00

Our friend, Tahni, took our pictures again while my parents were here. Here are a few pictures of our time together:

Psalm 133 On Brothers

2011-12-09T13:50:00.001-05:00

At the dinner table last night we were reading our Bible and working on our memory verses and we came across this psalm. The boys were so encouraged by it! I just love seeing their continued understanding of God's Word and how it is coming more and more alive in their hearts.

For the word of God is living and active. (Hebrews 4:12)

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. (Psalm 19:8).

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
....For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Psalm 133

Every Morning

2011-12-08T15:14:00.001-05:00

As the struggles of this world threaten to steal our joy, our family finds it pivotal to upon waking, sit and rest in His truth. With each new morning it brings hope of seeing God move in our lives. We wait with anticipation for Him to give us a glimpse of His power and might. Our LORD has shown up in great and mighty ways. Hope does not disappoint.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24

I love mornings like this one where we lingered upstairs and played instead of rushing the kitchen for food.

He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness
after rain that brings the grass from the earth.' 2 Samuel 23:4

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33:2

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Fashion Show

2011-12-04T23:24:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving & Christmas with Nana and Poppy

2011-12-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

My mom and Charlie came for Thanksgiving for almost a week. We jam packed the week full of activities. It was fantastic.

This is the best we could do. At least my mom looks great!

Painting pottery

Fancy new clothes from my mom!

Precious moment

Pretty pretty princess Lamb Sheep Jane

They are trying to push the wall. Gotta love those Eckert kids,
nothing intimidates them!

Charlie took them to their first basketball game!

Annabelle's first present opening experience where she was really into it. Very adorable.

Turkey feather hunt game

Didn't realize the camera was set for panoramic. Ugg!

Joseph sent Nana home with his beloved firetruck picture.
I was sad to see it go, but know she will cherish it ;)

Even though they live so far away, we are so thankful that we live in an age where distance is made much easier with technology. We cherish so much these times together.

Thankful for - Christmas Decorations Are Up

2011-11-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

Our home needed some Christmas accessories to get us in the spirit since we were going to be celebrating both Thanksgiving and Christmas while my parents were in town. I have never been one for Christmas decorations up in November, but I am so glad they are done. It sure was nice to move right from Thanksgiving into preparations for Advent without much hassle.

The kids were of course fully in support of this decision!

Thankful for - Finished Projects

2011-11-28T11:06:00.001-05:00

I am always thankful for time to craft knowing it doesn't come all that often these days. It brings me such joy to create things with my hands.

Nana and Poppy's Christmas gift.

Thankful for - Messes

2011-11-23T08:57:00.001-05:00

In some twisted way I was thankful for this mess.

I was thankful that it wasn't the bright blue we used for our bedroom.
I was thankful that it wasn't a gallon can.
I was thankful that not too much of it got on the wall.
I was thankful that most of it cleaned up well.
I was thankful for the time that it took to clean to give me a chance to stop and think about what's important.
I was thankful for the reminder that my treasures are not here on earth.
I was thankful for the chance to actually see this paint color on the wall since I was thinking of painting it this color anyways...

Where thanks is possible, joy is always possible.

Thankful for - My Husband

2011-11-18T13:28:00.001-05:00

Most mornings you will find Andy in this chair before any of the children wake up. Annabelle is often the first awake, so he will bring her up in this chair and let her play with his phone while he finishes up. She adores these quiet times together and I love watching it all unfold as Andy exemplifies Christ to this precious Lamb from the very first interaction he has with her each morning.

Few things in life are going to last for eternity, but this man is storing up treasures in heaven as he invests so deeply in me and in each of our children. I am so thankful for the leadership and gentle love of this man. I am in awe of God's goodness to me.

A daddy's girl through and through

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Thankful for - How He Loves Us

2011-11-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

My hope is increasing as my sadness to the adoption setback is decreasing. I am excited for what God is doing in our lives and eager to see how he's going to work this out for his glory. We are as certain as we can be that the call on our lives to adopt has not changed, but that we need to be willing to think more creatively than we have been.

During this season, I have made it a point to in my words and actions to force thankfulness out, even if my heart hasn't felt it one bit. And through that, praying that my heart would follow my actions.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

As you all can see above I did a little home project awhile ago to put up in our home with the words "in everything give thanks". It was once again another attempt at surrounding myself with reminders that though one area of life is not going as planned, it should in no way hinder our overall joy. Where thanks is possible, joy is always possible.

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22

Well, the irony of all of this is that with this banner I was making it's been anything but easy to make. I was missing one letter for it, finally found it, painted everything, only to realize the letters didn't show up enough against the background color. Painted it again and ran out of spray paint. I just left it as is and glued them on the board. I want to put it over a particular door in our home and we cannot seem to find a stud in the wall. We've tried all different things and aren't positive there are any. So, it's been done for weeks but it currently is leaning against the wall next to the back door as we plan our next course of action.

Well, I got this package from an amazing friend and was so shocked. I've order something from her before, but wasn't expecting anything in the mail. So, here's what I found:

Her packaging is so creative. She uses vintage pattern paper for her wrapping.

the letter inside

The necklace!!!

This is confirmation to me that if I was ever in doubt, God is in the midst of all of this. He is in the details. He is present and he is rejoicing in my efforts to seek joy through the pain. This is not confirmation that the sorrow is over and that the pain will only subside from here, but that he promises to be with us through it all. My prayer for you and myself is this verse below.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Thankful for - List

2011-11-14T15:23:00.001-05:00

Even though I've run out of new pictures to post, my thankful list is still quite long.

Joseph exactly 2 years ago.

~ skyping with the g-parents
~ the gorgeous fall weather
~ used book sales
~ the rapidly expanding vocabulary of our toddler
~ kids who are learning forgiveness
~ kids who wake up and ask to do school
~ surprise kisses
~ clean rooms
~ folded laundry
~ pinterest
~ dishwasher
~ dress up clothes
~ a husband that loves me more each day
~ anything pumpkin
~ friends that take you out for dessert
~ friends that come over for a surprise visit and fold your laundry
~ naptimes where all 3 kids actually sleep
~ homeschooling resources
~ knowing that my Mama is coming in single digit days!!!

Thankful for - This Outfit

2011-11-12T07:30:00.001-05:00

This outfit was Andy's when he was a toddler. It was sent to us over 3 years ago by a friend of Andy's mom. She had it at her house after all these years because she borrowed it for her son after Andy grew out of it. When Joseph was born she sent it to us. Well, it got lost in the mail for over 2 years and was finally returned back to her. She mailed it to us a few months ago and hoped that Annabelle could now get some use out of it. Pretty crazy story. Well worth all the fuss to see this little angel wearing it. Now to find some pictures of Andy in this would be the icing on the cake for this Mama.

Thankful for - Veterans

2011-11-11T09:55:00.001-05:00

Today is a very hard day for Andy. 7 years ago today he was in the midst of the battle of Fallujah in Iraq and lost the first of what would end up being four men from his platoon. Yesterday, I foolishly was talking about 11/11/11 and how neat that it is and jokingly asked him if he was looking forward to it. He somberly said, "no." My heart sunk. In the seven years since the battle, I have rarely forgotten the dates of the death of his men. But yesterday, I did. Ugg, did I feel horrible.

Thanking a veteran today seems so inadequate. As hard as I have tried to fully understand what he experienced overseas, I will never.

My heart aches for Christ's return where evil will be eternally punished and death will no longer have it's sting. Oh what a glorious day that will be.

Thankful for - Consignment Shops

2011-11-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

As the temperatures are dropping, I am loving seeing our kids in their new (to us) winter clothes. I am thankful for ways our eco-friendly town has made it easy to buy great items, pay less and not contribute to overproduction.

Thankful for - Saturdays at Home

2011-11-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

We often have something scheduled for Saturdays. But, when we don't, it's always such a blessing. We are so grateful for the time to be together and check some tasks off of our to-do list.

Daddy with his trusty side kick.

Wrestling time in the pit.

Thankful for - Their Bond

2011-11-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

We try very hard to instill in these kids a love and respect of their siblings and to encourage unity among them. Hard work certainly has paid off! I didn't think it would bear so much fruit so quickly, but it has. They are obsessed with each other. It is such a delight to watch these relationships deepen. I am so thankful for their bond.

Poppy just sent them 34 POUNDS of drawing paper since they were low.
Drawing is everyone's favorite activity right now.

Very seriously waiting at the starting line for the Underwear Game to begin!

Thankful for - Chalk

2011-11-04T16:32:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am thankful for chalk. Chalk is such a simple thing, but a crucial thing in the life of a mom with three small children. The hours of enjoyment our family gets out of chalk is monumental. It's cheap, doesn't make a (huge) mess, can be enjoyed indoors and out, and most importantly encourages them to use their imaginations.

Knocking Sam over with her big Belle hugs!

Wants to be just like her big brothers!

Thankful For - A Day of Rest

2011-11-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

After our very long and busy weeks, we try to do nothing but make Sunday a sabbath day where we rest, relax and dedicate the day to the Lord. We are never disappointed in the rejuvenation Sundays bring. God is so faithful to allow time for all of the things to get done the other 6 days of the week so we can set aside one day for just Him. I also love it when the kids get cleaned up for the day and look adorable in their church clothes.

There always seems to be one kid who overdoes their smile. This season it's Annabelle!

I am so thankful for a God who loves us enough to give us guidelines for living and does not leave us to our own devices to figure out what's best. He leads us gently and has a perfect way.

Thankful for - Sleeping Babies

2011-11-02T17:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing is more precious than a sleeping child, especially when that child is buried within a pile of stuffed animals.

Thankful for - Date Night With Sam

2011-11-01T16:51:00.001-04:00

Saturday night Samuel and I were able to get away for awhile just the two of us. Joseph went to the movies with Andy on a date earlier this year, but Samuel had never been. So, I was praying for a good kids movie to be out and there was! We went to see Dolphin Tale. It was fantastic. The perfect movie for us to see together. We then finished off the night with some ice cream from Ben and Jerry's.

Us with our 3D movie glasses!

With all that's been thrown our way lately Samuel and I just needed some time to process it all together away from home and just enjoy being with one another. It was such a blessing. This kid blows me away with his insight. There's a reason why we call him Sam the Prophet. I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. Watching him take on the role as oldest sibling and shepherd his young siblings has been beautiful. His tenderness is unmatched. I am so honored to be a part of Samuel's story and watch how God is transforming his heart for Kingdom work!

Thankful for - Weekend Away

2011-10-31T15:56:00.000-04:00

The day we found out about our adoption setback we were scheduled to head up Maryland for the weekend. I really did not want to go, but am so glad we did. Family was just what was needed! We had a super weekend and were just able to be together and enjoy life.

So thankful for all that God has given us in our families! We are so blessed.

Adoption Setback

2011-10-28T18:03:00.000-04:00

Last Friday we got some devastating news about our adoption plans. As it stands right now, we will have a 3 year waiting period until we can proceed any futher. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Right now there are many more questions than answers. If we simply wanted more children, bearing in mind our past experiences, we could easily have them biologically. But, the Lord placed adopting a child from Uganda on our hearts over 2 years ago, and we feel as though we have followed the Lord each and every step along the way, only to be brought to this painful waiting period.

We have been told that this experience can be compared to a late-term miscarriage. As much as I know about pregnancies, birth and children, I couldn't agree more. This precious child had a quilt being made by her Mama, a journal we wrote to her in, and a huge place carved out of our hearts that could only be filled by her. We're trying with all our might to trust in this promise:

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Unfortunately or fortunately, after over 7 months of already being in this process, we just a couple days earlier decided to share our plans with more than our family and close friends via this blog and facebook only to learn two days later of our setback.

We've only had a week to process all of this and we're starting to come out of the fog. We definitely don't have the clarity that we know will come with time, but each day is making a little more sense than the last.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

And now as always we simply have to entrust ourselves to God who is all powerful, all knowing, and who in all things works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18

We sit at his throne and wait. We wait patiently on the One who holds to world together. Even though very little makes sense right now, we commit our ways to the Lord, trust in Him, and trust that he will bring His will to pass.

Thank you to all of you who have walked with us so closely during this season. We feel the prayers of His people and have been carried by them. Please continue to pray for us as we move forward.

Open for Business

2011-10-28T15:44:00.000-04:00

Come one come all... the Eckert wrestling pit is now open for business! Don't worry, though, this was their last horrah in the mud before all the hay went down. Wrestlers should be able to wrestle and stay 'relatively' clean now.

Mama Bird and Her Baby Birds

2011-10-27T13:11:00.003-04:00

Couldn't resist taking a picture of Annabelle in this adorable outfit.

Then, Joseph went up and hugged her so I snapped another one.

That reminded him that I never get my picture taken so he wanted me to get one with all of my kids.

I thought that was so thoughtful. I love pictures with my babies, but I rarely get them. Thanks, Joe Joe!

Funny Frog Faces

2011-10-26T11:25:00.001-04:00

Wrestling Recruiting

2011-10-25T17:03:00.004-04:00

The pit is almost done, and Daddy is doing some hard recruiting for his new wrestling league. The varsity team is filling up pretty fast, but Annabelle had secured a spot on the JV team. She's very excited!

I guess I'll be cheering everyone on alone.

Carter's Mountain

2011-10-24T21:53:00.001-04:00

Charlottesville is gorgeous any time of year, but fall here is just perfect. We had some friends come into town from the beach and wanted the fall experience. So, we couldn't think of anything more fall like than picking pumpkins and apples at Carter's Mountain.

Fall Is Here

2011-10-19T16:12:00.000-04:00

The weather is getting cooler and we are loving it. Here are some photos from the past couple of weeks.

Having a blast at the Discovery Museum

Learning about flight on a field trip

First ride on the trolley around town. Pure bliss.

Clean or dirty, she's just edible.

Ready for their weekly Saturday morning walk

The Eckert Tree...

2011-10-18T16:27:00.000-04:00

...is growing more branches, this time of African descent!

Craft Time

2011-10-18T16:20:00.000-04:00

The boys have really gotten into craft time at school. Joseph has always loved crafts, but Samuel would quickly lose interest. So, things have slowed down a bit in the other subjects of school while I let them run wild in their crafting phase. I'm figuring this is going to be short lived and we'll be able to make up what we haven't been doing. Another great advantage of homeschooling.

All their creativity has got me motivated as well. Life is just too full these days to do any sewing, but I have been able to work on a few little projects here and there. Here is a little wall in AJ's room that didn't have anything on it. I used all found objects in our home and think it turned out pretty cute.

Then the boys room got their garland, finally! I have probably had these made for over a year and have been taping them up in different places in their room but just never liked how they were hung. Well, I finally decided on this. We are quite pleased. It sure adds a nice touch to their room without going overboard.

All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go

2011-10-17T12:37:00.001-04:00

Our little lady loves her fancy shoes or "fooooes" as she calls them.

Sam and Belle in a box!

Look at all that hair!

Trip to Grandpa's

2011-10-14T16:51:00.003-04:00

A couple weekends ago we drove to western North Carolina to visit Andy's grandpa. We had such a nice visit with him. He is so young for his age and has such a zest for life. He's always up to some project and recruited Andy to help him out with some. They are a good team. His yard is amazing and we were able to enjoy it all weekend. Complete with trails all over, a stream and an enormous rock! Just wished we lived closer.

With Andy's aunt Andye. Look at Annabelle's outfit! Andy dressed her :)

Where's Annabelle?

2011-10-12T22:37:00.000-04:00

9 out 10 times when Annabelle isn't right next to me or the boys we find her here on these chairs. She is obsessed with them. She'll climb in and out of them a hundred times a day. I am not exaggerating! These shots are probably taken within an hour of each other and she was doing 3 different things on them. Times this by a dozen and add various other objects in her hands and you get her day in a nutshell.

Morning Bible reading

She decided it was snack time and snagged an apple and ran here for cover.

Nap time!

Who says kids need a million toys?! Give this girl a chair and she's happy for hours! Praying that she will be this content in the Lord her whole life.

We've Got Some Cute Kids

2011-10-12T11:28:00.001-04:00

Just admit it!

Medical Mysteries

2011-10-10T15:54:00.002-04:00

We have had some health issues with Joseph lately and went and got some blood work done. He got so light headed and pale he just about passed out. I knew nothing other than to take him to our favorite bakery and get him a chocolate cookie. Or maybe I just wanted to take advantage of getting one last cookie for myself for awhile. He was thrilled, no matter what the reason.

By the time we were home he was off to play with Gigi who was visiting and tell her all about how brave he was. Me on the other hand took about an hour to calm down. I despise hospitals.

The blood work has come back and his levels are fantastic. The highest level of vitamin D they've seen. But, just as I has suspected, he did not in fact have the chicken pox. I have no idea what he had, but for some reason in the back of my mind I was never positive that's what they were. So, the mystery is still out for both things.

Our next step to try and figure this out is to get back to eating only the foods we know are good for our bodies. Over a period of time we've slowly let some unhealthy foods creep back into our diet for various reasons, so this was just another motivation to focus more on what we eat. It's only been a week or so, but so far no throwing up and already improvements in other areas we were hoping to see change.

Trying to find a good balance between eating the most nutritiously and not letting it become an idol is always a challenge, but when you consider how important food truly is to your entire being, it's worth the fight.

Cheeeeese

2011-10-07T15:55:00.003-04:00

If You Build It, They Will Come

2011-10-06T07:49:00.001-04:00

If you do not know Andy, I struggle to describe him. He is truly unique. Many of his idiosyncrasies might drive others to insanity, but God has given me a love for this man that I cannot explain. I am blessed to be his helpmate.

He has maturity beyond his years, all while desiring to design a wrestling pit in our backyard for him and the boys to play, and for other men to join.

Yes, he actually believes that other men will come and wrestle in their pit once they hear that we have one. He is definitely a man of faith :)

Sorry for the bad quality of photo. They were working late into the night.

The boys are clearly in agreement that this is the best thing that the back yard could ever be used for.

We've had a 2 year long discussion about this thing, and I finally just broke down and gave in. When your husband wants to do something manly with your boys in the backyard no matter how ugly it looks, it's in your best interest to say 'yes'.

I recently heard a quote that I never want to forget when I get all in a tizzy about another one of his crazy, messy ideas.... "we're not trying to grow grass, we're trying to grow men!"

And apparently, men still love to play in the dirt!

Edited to add: Since a few of you have already been concerned, my garden has not been harmed in the process! I made sure it stayed clear away from my precious plants!

Precious Memories

2011-10-05T16:02:00.001-04:00

I know you cannot even see their precious faces in this picture, but I love it so much. I love how it reflects how much they all love being together and can often be found huddled into one small space. The boys are always up to something and find creative ways to let Annabelle be a part of their fun. Precious memories I want to bottle up and remember forever.

Dancin' Diva

2011-09-25T22:48:00.004-04:00

Snuggle Bug

2011-09-22T16:23:00.002-04:00

We've got a snuggler, no doubt. She has a very particular way she likes to sleep, here's what it looks like.

Compared to this, I'd say we're making progress.

Baby steps!

Camping With Nana

2011-09-20T13:24:00.000-04:00

My mom came into town this past weekend and per her request we went camping! If you know my mother at all, you know she's not the camping type. But, she wore a smile the entire time and even talked about our next trip. What a good sport. Oh, what a grandma will do for her grandkids!

Ready to set up... acrylic nails and all :)

Time for smores!

Letterwriting Lizards

2011-09-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

I am asked multiple times a day if we can do some more school.

I'd say that's a good gauge of how well things are going!

White After Labor Day

2011-09-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

If you're this cute, you can wear white anytime you want!

Last Harvest

2011-09-14T20:30:00.001-04:00

We picked most of the crops left in the garden. We ended up with these two butternut squash and have a small one that we're gonna waiting a little while longer before picking.

We planted 3 pepper plants, one green, one red and one yellow and this is the only one we got! Not sure what happened, but something got to the leaves and ate them all up.

Our tomato plants did the best. This picture was after a good rain and they were all drooping. They grew to be taller than the stakes. We've still got a couple dozen green tomatoes, that we'll pick this weekend and then let ripen in the house.

We never got any cantaloupe or watermelon. We had 4 watermelon start growing, but never amounted to anything. Bummer.

After we clean out the garden we're going to be planting lots of spinach. I'm very excited about this considering we eat spinach daily and it's not cheap. It should be a fairly easy thing to grow.

Even though our garden is small, I think we've had a good return on our plants. I'm still amazed at the whole cycle of plants and how they can grow from such tiny seeds to edible produce so quickly. God is an amazing creator! I love being able to witness his power in this way.

The Underwear Game

2011-09-12T16:52:00.001-04:00

Yes, you read that correctly. We have a game in our home called 'The Underwear Game'. Secrets out. I'm just gonna go ahead and say it up front... we are strange! I'd love to say it's just Andy, but as his family reminds me, I must have been just as crazy to chose him :) For a couple years now I've been waiting for the game to die down and them to move onto something else, but that doesn't seem like it's happening anytime soon. They only seem to be getting more into it. So, I've embraced it, and now it's going viral, and will be in our memory books for generations to come.

How this game came to be, we aren't quite sure. I'm assuming I was folding clothes one night and they were all wrestling and someone took some underwear and started running around the house hitting everyone with it. (We are quite civilized around here, I know!) And we all know wrestling is more fun when you can hit each other with underwear. So, that was that... The Underwear Game.

Since Annabelle was in the womb and we knew she was a girl we joked about what she would do for The Underwear Game, and Andy just said, she'll join us. Well, here's your proof, this girl loooves The Underwear Game. She honestly gets upset when she's got to go to bed and she hears them getting in position!

They all have starting positions and Andy calls them to attention and then officially calls the game to begin and then they go at it. The only rule is no face shots. Annabelle still is learning that rule. Oh, and the underwear have to be clean... my rule :)

Every night at dinner they talk about what their evening activity will be. It's either wrestling (downstairs, or on our master bed), The Underwear Game, or country running, which is running around the circle downstairs with objects you have to jump over. That one always leads to wrestling, too. Notice a trend?

It is pure music to my ears to hear my husband and my children thoroughly enjoying being with one another as I clean up the tornado that went through our kitchen each night.

I am blessed beyond measure to be married to this amazing man!

Off to School

2011-09-08T17:47:00.000-04:00

Cornerstone Christian School opened it doors yesterday! We had a fantastic first day of school.

It's gonna be a great year!

A Year for Risks!

2011-09-08T17:32:00.001-04:00

I've been blessed with 29 years on this earth. I am beyond excited at what this year is going to bring!

Photo (by Sam) of me and my girl on my birthday!

All I wanted for my birthday was to paint our bedroom. I'm a fairly artsy person, but I don't take many design risks. We've lived in our home for over 2 years and for the most part it is still visually dull and boring. I have a very eclectic taste in decor, so I've had a hard time making all the ideas in my head actually fit under the same roof. I decided if I was going to take a major risk, our bedroom would be the place. It's out of the way, and if it was a total flop, only we would have to live with it.

The color isn't right on the screen, but you get the idea.

Either I made a huge mistake, or I'm going to be able to pull off this color and it will look awesome. A fashion tightrope, perhaps? We only have 2 walls done, but so far Andy and I both love it. The final results are yet to be determined.

Special Deliveries

2011-09-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

Our weekend is off to a great start!

We came home this afternoon to these on our doorstep! Thank you Dane and Berta for blessing me on my birthday with these gorgeous flowers!

And earlier this morning we got our handwriting curriculum in the mail. As you can see the boys are thrilled!

Gearing Up for Kindergarten!

2011-09-01T16:47:00.000-04:00

Despite us all being under the weather the last few days, we are pushing through and finishing up our tasks before the school year begins on the 7th! I found an enormous dresser at a second hand store that I couldn't pass up. It's going to solve my constant issue of how to hide all of our clutter, and now schooling materials. It needed a lot of work, but for the price, I was willing to put in some elbow grease and get it looking decent. But, here it is, finally finished!

So, we're in the process of completely revamping the play room into a school room and have now put all of the play toys (as opposed to learning toys) in the boys room. So, when Joseph is done with his school stuff and Samuel is still working, Joseph can only play with learning toys downstairs or go upstairs to play with the other toys. It's a way to (I hope) keep Samuel focused and not want to stop working. And also because they are getting some smaller toys now that are so hard to keep away from Annabelle. This way if they are in their bedroom and they aren't ready to put them all away we can just shut the door and keep her out.

We took this out of the playroom and now the boys have their trains, lincoln logs, tinker toys, big legos, small legos, cars and trucks in here in their (gasp) bedroom. I have fought tooth and nail for over 5 years to never have toys in the bedrooms, but here we have it. Never say never, I suppose. They are quick to get into and put away and, most importantly, satisfy this very anti-clutter mama!

And now to go find a new home for all of this stuff before I completely have a heart attack!

Things already done:

Spent countless hours of prayer, research, interviewing veteran homeschool moms, reading countless books and blogs all to figure out the best way to structure this year. Tips always welcome!
Registered Samuel through the city.
Bought materials needed.
Finished the dresser.
Repainted the bookshelf.
Painted the school table white.
Purged our toys, books and supplies.

Things still to do:

Organize the school room.
Wait for 3 books in the mail.
Figure out if we are going to supplement our curriculum with more math.
Finalize our name!

I guess that's not so overwhelming now that I look at it and see what we've already done and have left to do. I do know we're all going to get a good laugh out of this entry for years to come. It's all gotta start somewhere, right? I cannot wait to see where our homeschooling years are going to take us. What an exciting escapade we are about to undertake!

***************************

All of those thoughts are juxtaposed against what I read during my quiet time this morning.

Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of a man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. The only thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God Who will make him holy. At all cost a man must be rightly related to God. ~Oswald Chambers

It sure puts all of this hustle and bustle into getting all of our school things 'just right' in the next few days into perspective. None of that matters unless my heart is in a right relationship with the one who made me.

So, here's to a school year that is full of learning about letters and numbers, plants and animals and vowels and consonants, but most importantly here's to a year that is full of learning as a family what it means to be rightly related to God.

Girlie Gifts

2011-08-30T20:07:00.007-04:00

Annabelle got some very special gifts for her first birthday from her Nana that I just got around to taking pictures of. Annabelle is in love with shoes and the second her Nana heard that, she jumped on that quicker than I could say "Mom, just because she likes shoes doesn't mean she needs 34 pairs!" But, look what Nana did, she made her some! How stinkin' cute are these!?

And then she drew her these adorable pictures to go in her bedroom. Everything in the pictures are taken from the fabric that was the inspiration for her room. I've still got her quilt to make, a wall hanging to figure out and a valence and then I think it will be done. Slowly yet surely it's coming together.

Aren't they all just so cute?! I just love that my mom and I share a love for crafting. Such a fun girlie thing to bond over. Thanks Mom for loving my little girl almost as much as I do :)

Three and One Half

2011-08-29T12:16:00.004-04:00

Joseph is now 3 1/2. Apprently to him that's close to 6.

Whatever his age, it's all going way too fast for me.

Lake Gaston Trip

2011-08-26T16:03:00.013-04:00

We just went on vacation nearby to Lake Gaston with Andy's family. It was perfectly timed after several hard weeks of life and right before we dive into our first year of officially homeschooling. It's amazing what a good vacation will do for your soul!

Samuel was such a fish. He was fearless of the water and spent every chance he could swimming off the dock.

Lots of time was spent on the boat.

Goat Island

Lots of disc golf was played

GranRan celebrated his birthday on Monday. The boys were more than willing to help blow out his candles.

The kids adore Mr. Patrick (Julie's boyfriend). He is pretty awesome!

These two pictures say a million words about Andy and Annabelle and the special relationship that they share. Nothing more adorable than a man and his daughter.

Sweet Joe Joe

Samuel blew us all away and went tubing with Andy. So proud of our brave boy!

Snuggles with Gigi

Summer is officially coming to a close... now it's time to turn our attention to finalizing our school plans! It's going to be a great year!

Snorkler Joe

2011-08-25T14:10:00.003-04:00

Samuel got a snorkel set for his birthday. Joe decided he wanted one too. So he decided to take matters into his own hands and make a set for himself:

Quite creative, huh?

Spring Forth Farm

2011-08-19T09:50:00.007-04:00

We have some friends at our church who left a very comfortable lifestyle in Colorado to live on a farm with their 4 boys. One day last week we went over and spent the day with them. We toured their farm and then as the boys played in the mud I tried to squeeze as much wisdom out of the mom as I could. I inquired about discipline, homeschooling, fertility, gardening, raising godly boys and everything in between. She is a wealth of wisdom and is doing a fantastic job with her husband raising their children.

It was such an encouragement to see a family a few steps ahead of us, who shares our not-so-popular values who has children who are thriving like they are. Such confirmation to know that all this hard work will pay off if we are diligent in seeking the Lord's guidance. Parenting is hard work, but He is faithful!

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 1:6

This family is so inspiring and such an answer to prayer. God, you are so good!

Baby Sweet

2011-08-19T09:28:00.003-04:00

Our little girl has dozens of nicknames. The boys have given Annabelle many nicknames of their own. The most often used by them lately is "Baby Sweet". It sounds more like "bibi sweeeeeet" in a very small mouse voice.

It's adorable how much they love her.

Joseph Accepts Christ!

2011-08-16T09:32:00.010-04:00

This past week the boys were both able to go to a Vacation Bible School through a church nearby. They were thrilled beyond belief that they could go together. Here they are with all their loot one night.

Samuel looks shorter than Joe, so, I just had to figure it out once and for all their height difference. Looks like they are exactly the same size.

Joseph was talking all about his first ever VBS experience. He was so excited. He loves new things and meeting new people. I was so thankful that he was able to have this experience, but never really considered what an impact it would have on him.

Ever since Samuel accepted Christ, Joseph has been saying "God is working in my heart, and I'm almost a Christian, but not yet."

We always thought that was pretty profound for a 3 year old.

So, this particular night (Tuesday, Aug 9) Joseph was in his bed waiting for me to come in and do our nightly routine. He came running into the bathroom where I was with Samuel and yelled "tonight's the night! I want to become a Christian tonight!"

Andy was out to dinner with people from work so I called him and he was on his way home. I told Joseph that we would wait for Daddy to come home so he could help him pray. When he heard Andy opening the front door, he yelled "He's home!!! I can be a Christian now!" After Andy talked with him, he prayed and asked Jesus to come into his heart and forgive him of all of sins and asked him for the strength to live for him all of his days.

We were totally shocked. It was more than overwhelming to have Samuel come to know Christ at age 4, but then 5 months later to have Joseph accept Christ as well. We have been speechless since then. They obviously have a long road ahead of them to fully understand the depth of this decision (don't we all), but to the extend of their understanding of the gospel, they want to claim it as their own and make their relationship with Christ personal.

I gave Joseph a 'christian necklace' as they call it, just like Sam. And they bounced all around the room together for quite some time. Excited by Joseph's recent decision, but I'm sure the cupcake with icing they had at VBS didn't help. Ugg!

The next morning Joseph had this huge wave of sadness rush over him. I asked him what was wrong. He asked "Mommy, are there two Gods?" And I reminded him that God was in 3 parts, but that there was only 1 God." He said "Oh NOOOOO! That means that Sam isn't a Christian anymore!" He thought that since he was now a Christian and Christ was living in his heart, that he must have had to leave Samuel's heart to live in Joe's heart. Then he asked if maybe God was in Sam's heart and Jesus was in his heart. Makes sense to a 3 year old, but bad theology :) Once I was able to walk through how God can be in every one's hearts who trust in Him, he was so relieved and hasn't worried since.

It's very cool that however different the gospel was preached to Joseph, it was just what he needed to make everything fit together. We are so thankful that we live in a country that has freedom of religion to allow our child the opportunity to hear the good news of Christ preached outside of our home.

As we celebrate 11 years since our first date today, we are overwhelmed at God's goodness in our lives. He has blessed us with an amazing marriage, 3 fantastic children, with 2 of them who have accepted Christ. That's a whole lot to be thankful for.

I Heart NY

2011-08-12T15:23:00.006-04:00

My Dad's side of the family was having a family reunion in New York where most of them live. I would have moved a mountain if necessary to make sure I was there. It's been entirely too long since I've seen some of that side of the family and I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

So, the 3 kiddos and I took a road trip! It was so much fun to be on the road with them. They were such troopers riding over 1,200 miles in only 1 week, missing naps, staying up late, eating meals on the run and being confined in house after house each with their own set of rules.

Needless to say, it wasn't the most stress-free trip, and no one witnessed the most impressive days of my mothering to date, but God is faithful and he certainly blessed us with an amazing time with our family and friends.

It was so much fun, we're considering making it a yearly trip!

My Summer Sewing Class

2011-08-10T12:22:00.005-04:00

For 6 weeks over the summer I have been able to take a sewing class with one of my friends, Kim. It has been awesome. We were the only two in the class and really were able to cover some good ground with our sewing skills. There were a lot of firsts for me in this class:

I tried sewing with my serger for the first time.
I sewed with a knit fabric for the first time.
I used elastic thread for the first time.
I finished my first (and second) dress for Annabelle.
I made sleeves for the first time.
I made something with a button for the first time.

I can hardly keep this girl still now that she's walking. So here's the best picture of this dress I could get.

The other dress is for when she's bigger so I'll post a picture of that when she's in it.

This class was a huge motivation for me to get over this sewing bump-in-the-road I was finding myself in. I learned a lot of skills that will keep me busy for some time.

Kim and I are going to try and keep up with our Friday night sewing together and inviting girls from the church who want to learn to sew. About 12 of them (it seems) are pregnant so I think I'll be walking them through some baby quilts. I'm very excited to be using this hobby of mine to help others.

Summer Fun

2011-08-10T11:54:00.011-04:00

This is a 0-3 month top on Annabelle. It was my absolute favorite of her's when she was a newborn and it still fits. It's obviously much shorter than it used to be, but it still fits. I'm thrilled.

Pictures at the water park on Samuel's birthday

At the start of each night of Sports Camp all the coaches and helpers lined up and the kids got to run down the long line by themselves and slap everyone's hands while crazy music played. The kids loved it. I thought it was such a unique way of giving attention to each and every kid that was attending. This was on the last night when family was invited. Andy was there each night leading and since it was at our church Samuel was not as disappointed this time that Joseph wasn't there. Here's Joseph eating up all the attention running through the 'tunnel'.

While we were visiting different churches last Summer all Joseph and Samuel kept talking about was they wanted to make the church with the spider web their church. Andy and I had no idea which one they were talking about. So, when we told them that Charlottesville Community Church was the church that God has lead us to, they were thrilled beyond belief. That was the church with the spider web on the playground!

It has been a joy to worship with this congregation and to go through their membership class and know that God had an even better church for us that we even imagined. Their heart for our community continues to amaze us. What they are capable of accomplishing in serving our community is astonishing considering their size.

Here is Joseph enjoying the spider web at the carnival after the conclusion of the Sports Camp.

And here's Annabelle enjoying her snowcone with no flavoring. She thought she was in heaven.

Samuel with his award from the week!

Their new obsession, water balloons!

Samuel got grown up legos for his birthday, but they can only play them when Annabelle is sleeping so it's a very special treat.

Miss thang had her first peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. She loved it of course!

It's been an awesome summer, I can't believe how fast it's going, though!

Garden Growth

2011-08-09T11:57:00.005-04:00

We have enjoyed so much our garden. What a blessing it has been. Here were our fruits and veggies on July 21st:

baby cucumbers were sprouting up all over

butternut squash, we have 2.

our first tomato to turn red

crookneck squash, had about 3 at that time

Watermelon, we have one other about this size

Siblings... One of God's Greatest Gifts

2011-08-05T16:20:00.013-04:00

No matter how many children we end up having, I believe carving out frequent one-on-one times with each child is crucial to their development. So, while Samuel was gone doing his various activities last month, those times naturally lent themselves perfectly for Joseph and I to spend time alone together. I was able to really connect with Joseph, focus on him as an individual and do the things that he loves to do. It was a very special time for us both.

But, as nice as it was, there was still a noticable void for Joseph. The bike rides just weren't as fun, the games not as exciting and Mommy sure doesn't play swords quite like Samuel.

Conclusion: Mommies are great, but sometimes all a boy wants is a brother!

We have enjoyed so much watching our children's relationships with each other blossom into such deep friendships. We pray they will only grow deeper with time.

Samuel Turns 5

2011-08-04T11:43:00.010-04:00

Since mid July Samuel has been so busy. He had Vacation Bible School at a nearby church one week, Nana came for his birthday, went on a camping trip with Daddy, turned 5, went to sports camp the next week with our church and went on a trip with Gigi and GranRan the following weekend.

He's definitely a homebody and cannot stand to be separated from his brother, so all of this activity was challenging for him. Overall we think it was great for him to get some time away and spread his wings a little. Being 5 is tough!

With all the excitement going on, Samuel didn't want a party. So, we went to a water park nearby that he's always wanted to go to with a few friends and everyone came back for dinner and dessert. It was a perfect way to celebrate our precious Samuel!

Off camping with Daddy

They came home first thing Sunday morning, his actual birthday.

Spiderman costume from Nana. He didn't even know what Spiderman was, but asked Nana for a Spiderman costume for his birthday. Of course, she came through for the little man!

Water park after church

His lego cake

We celebrated both Annabelle and Samuel's birthday's while Nana was here.

Luray Caverns with Gigi and GranRan.

We thank God for this amazing child he has given us. He brings so much joy to our lives and we are so honored to be his parents. God is doing some awesome things in his life and we are glad we get to be a part of it all.

It's going to be a great big year for Samuel. We start Kindergarten in the fall! I'm so excited to finally be offically homeschooling. It is going to be so fun! What an honor, but oh what a huge responsibility, too.

I will rest in the truth that God does not call the equipped, he equips the called.

Mid July

2011-08-03T12:11:00.007-04:00

Our church was in charge of the entertainment for the July 4th city-wide celebration. Daddy was volunteering and we were planning on going to celebrate with the other 20,000 people expected to attend, but the weather had a different idea. This is as close as we got to the excitement.

So, I made a 4th of July treat to try to make it up to everyone a little.

Cleaning Annabelle off after dinner one night, we found a pea squirrelled away for safe keeping.

Poppy came for a surprise visit! He had a funeral to attend in NY and decided to take a detour on his way up there to visit us. We had such an awesome time with him. The boys had a sleepover with him at a nearby hotel. They went swimming, watched TV, stayed up late and had a big white sugar breakfast... I suppose that's what grandparents are for... or at least that's what they tell me :)

Our first hot pepper!

We had to stake our tomatoes with even bigger stakes since they were over 5 feet tall.

Andy made an A frame for our vines so they could be supported and give us more room for them to grow up instead of just on the ground. Annabelle loved helping.

About to get dumped on!

Water baby

I finally got the first year of our blog printed out in a book. It came out so well! I hope to be able to print one out for each year and use it as our family's memory book. I love this concept. We get the benefit of having our memories in print, but also get to share them with others online. I know I'll never even come close to capturing all the noteworthy stuff, but it's motivated me to keep blogging as much as I can.

I don't love the layout of the inside. The pictures aren't very big and the text and picture boxes aren't always aligned great, but it's a new company and I think it will only get better with time. The user just doesn't have a lot of options for how it comes out, but it might just be the design side of me being overly analytical in that area. But, on the flip side, it's extremely easy to order. So few options leads to having it ordered in under 10 minutes. If I only knew it would be that easy, I would have done it months ago! And it's reasonably priced. Totally beats scrap booking in my eyes.

The company is blog 2 print.

Early July

2011-07-26T15:07:00.000-04:00

Finally made it to a baseball game this summer. The boys felt robbed that this baseball game didn't come with an automatic hot dog. Shockingly they aren't begging to go back...

I cannot get enough of this face.

Love

The beginnings at making a picture calendar for the boys. I used hot glue to glue the velcro to the laminent and it didn't work super well, so I'll have to sew them on. This was just a tester. I'm going to be making a bigger one for school in the fall to go through their day more systematically. Any suggestions would be awesome!

Aunt Juju, movie day and pizza day all on the same day... life could not get any better for these boys!

End of June

2011-07-22T22:11:00.006-04:00

Annabelle loves being with the big kids outside doing big kid stuff.

Was able to see our friend, Holly, while she was in the States visiting from Zambia doing some work for Special Hope Network. It's been a huge blessing to be a part of what God is doing through them in Africa for the least of these.

As soon as she sees a camera, she strikes this pose and yells 'cheeeeese.'

Daddy works so close to the Discovery Museum, so we'll go on his lunch hour so we get to go together as a family. It's a very special treat to see Daddy during the day!

Visiting a new splash area with our friends.

Camping With the Cousins

2011-07-21T12:19:00.019-04:00

We went to Claytor Lake with two of Andy's cousins and their families.

Annabelle loved her first camping experience.

Pretending to sleep in their tent.

These boys love boats. They play with walnut shells that have been cracked open and play with them as boats. I thought it was about time to splurge and get them some boats. They were so anxious to get in the lake and test them out. Amazing how much fun a couple of dollars brings.

Daddy and his clone

All the boy cousins on our way up to some falls.

The hike back down.

We had some tired kiddos.

Lots of wrestling was had.

Lots of fireflies were caught.

Lots of food was consumed.

Lots of exploring was done.

Lots of sand was swallowed.

This trip was a reward for the boys for memorizing all 26 of their alphabet memory verses. They worked so hard and this was the perfect way to celebrate. We're currently memorizing a passage out of Colossians and they want for their reward this time to go have a sleep over at Aunt Julie's! That should be a hoot!

Yearly Check Ups

2011-07-20T18:34:00.008-04:00

Since Annabelle and Samuel's birthdays fall fairly near each other, we combined their yearly check ups. Samuel thought that was very special. Joe felt very left out.

The fifth birthday at the doctors is big stuff. He got his ears checked, his vision tested and his blood pressure checked all for the first time.

Sam weighed 30 1/2 lbs. (3%)

Annabelle weighed 19 lbs.

Sam was 38 1/2 inches (3%)

We praise the Lord for such healthy vibrant children!

Birthday Quilt

2011-07-20T18:23:00.004-04:00

I am in the process of making Annabelle a quilt for her 1st birthday. I finished the top, but still have to make a back and quilt it, but here is the birthday girl with the quilt in progress.

This picture also commemorates the last weekly picture of her from her first birthday. Yes, that's correct, I took (around) 52 pictures of her last year on her week birthdays, all on different pieces of fabric in her adorable little diaper cover. But, don't worry, I won't bore you all with them.

Luckily, the quilt won't be used until she's older when her side rails come off her crib. But, I still know I've got to keep the momentum going because we'll be there before I know it!

Birthday Pictures at the Park

2011-07-15T10:42:00.012-04:00

Annabelle Is The Real One

2011-07-07T11:13:00.023-04:00

With all of the different celebrations we had with various friends and family, the boys were quite confused as to which day she actually turned one. So, for the entire month of June the boys would wish Annabelle happy birthday multiple times a day! Better be on the safe side, they figured!

On her actual birthday they were so thrilled that she was 'really' one! They could not have been more excited about celebrating their sister! They kept saying "You're the REAL one today!" And to this day they are still telling everyone, she is the 'real one'. People are quite confused.

All done being zero!

The balloons from her birthday party found their way into the boys' room. They were thrilled. They finally got knocked down a few days ago during a sword fight.

Chocolate cake for breakfast! (Don't ever tell me I don't let my kids live a little :)) She did not waste a crumb.

Then it was off to our last trip to pick blueberries. Look at that view! I still can't believe how gorgeous God's creation is, and that we get to live here AND that heaven is going to be WAY more gorgeous than this. Blows my mind.

Enjoying the fruits of her labor!

Daddy took off the afternoon for his special birthday girl and we went to the lake to swim. Then it was out for Chinese food and then it was finally home for dessert.

The boys had been waiting all day for the lamb pops and the time couldn't come soon enough!

Needed her pacifier to keep her calm. It was past her bedtime and the wait for dessert was just too long. She lives a rough life.

Annalamb, meet your Lamb pop.

Now eat your lamb pop.

It was a long wait, but it was sure worth it. Looks at these adorable faces. Pure joy.

Now it's time to dig in.

Almost forgot her birthday bib! Then she was back to wanting Daddy to hold it.

It's been an amazing year with our little girl. We are so blessed to have been given this time with her and pray for many many more!

A Year With Our Lamb

2011-07-05T22:41:00.011-04:00

Sheep Cake Pops

2011-07-02T21:05:00.001-04:00

Since before her birth, we have called Annabelle, Lamb. So, when I found these, I knew right away that they would be incorporated into the celebration of our Lamb!

I just made five for our family but since there was so much leftover cake and frosting, I made some plain ones to give to others.

They were perfect! They were just the right size, and so fun to make. I'm positive more cake pops are in our future.

60 Years Young

2011-07-02T17:37:00.000-04:00

I have met very few people in this world as wonderful as my mother-in-law. Words cannot describe the blessing she is to everyone she knows. So, for her 60th birthday we wanted to make her feel as special as she is. She did not want a party with lots of people, so it was just us. But, that sure didn't limit the fun. She loves playing games, but rarely has any takers when she mentions the idea. So, for her day, we wanted to set aside a whole night for games. She was thrilled.

She loves chocolate chip cookies.

Brunch on her actual birthday, and Father's Day.

And while we were all together, we celebrated Annabelle's 1st birthday. She got a Sophie Giraffe from Aunt Julie that she's obsessed with. Now she's just like the cool kids!

The birthday girls

Me and my birthday girl

It was such a great weekend filled with lots of celebrating.

Milk and Motherhood

2011-07-02T10:08:00.005-04:00

Annabelle used her newest pearly whites to bite me while nursing about 3 weeks ago. I screamed. She of course cried. She has completely refused to nurse since then. She always implied she wanted to, but when it came time, she would resist and cry. It was so sad. I talked to multiple people about what to do and NO ONE had ever heard of such a thing. Never had a kid completely refused to nurse after that. I was on my own to figure out a solution.

So, I tried and pumped my milk and took some supplements to keep my supply up while she went through this season and tried to not make a big deal out of it, but continued to offer her milk occasionally. If I put it in a cup she was ecstatic. She would get so excited when she had it, but just would not nurse. We hoped that she would get over the trauma and resume nursing. But, after about a week, my supply dried up completely with no signs of her interested in nursing. Here she is drinking my milk for the very last time.

I'm in shock at how abrupt it all was. And how quickly that first year flew. I don't think I would be so in shock if this wasn't our last biological child, but chances are, she might just be.

She did however crawl up to me the other day while we were both in the tent together camping, and wanted to nurse, so I let her try, she gave me a big kiss and crawled right away. I have to say that was a pretty precious last nursing memory.

I will always cherish the amazing moments I was given being able to grow these children in my womb, birth them, and to nurse them through their first year of life. Each one of those minutes pouring into my children in their infancy has built the foundation of a bond between us that I pray will continue to strengthen as they grow.

I have messed up parenting, royally at times. But, I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to know my heavenly Father in a deeper way by having children of my own. I have learned forgiveness like never before. In my opinion, nothing destroys pride (if you let it) more than parenting. With each one of these children, I have been given the chance to become more like Christ.

I was made to be a mother, just like I was made to be a daughter of the King.

Is It Summer Yet?

2011-07-02T09:43:00.012-04:00

Our dear friend, Miss Kim, told the boys that sometime during the summer they could come visit her home and have root beer floats.

Knowing that they weren't allowed to ask about the root beer floats every 2 seconds, each morning, for about 80 days straight, I was asked, "Is it summer, yet?"

Cleaver kids.

So, a few days before the official first day of summer, it was Miss Kim's birthday and she was having an open house at her home for friends to stop by and visit with her on her special day. So, when we went over to celebrate her birthday, she had the ice cream and root beer all ready for the boys. Here we were going over to celebrate her and she had planned a special treat just for the boys. So thoughtful!

They thought they were in heaven. It was such a wonderful day for us all. We love you, Miss Kim! Thanks for being such a special person in our lives.

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

The same park we play disc golf at has a lake. Andy has been having a swimming lesson with the boys once a week. It's proven to be a very good set up. Andy is a great swimmer, a phenomenal teacher and the boys love every last minute they can spend with their Daddy.

If Annabelle and I don't join them in the water she makes sure she is their assigned lifeguard. She takes her job very seriously.

Annabelle's Top Ten Words

2011-07-02T08:48:00.004-04:00

Our girl loves to babble. She had formed quite a big vocabulary in her short year of life. Here are her first recognizable words, and what I'm convinced are her most favorite things in life.

DADA (very forcefully) - Daddy
Mama - Mommy
Baba - Gamba
Hi
All done
Bye-bye
Night-night
Nana
Gigi
Dada - The boys. A quieter less forceful version of daddy.

And her newest words: banana, bubble and cheese, for when I bring out the camera :)

Blueberry Picking

2011-06-29T15:57:00.000-04:00

It's one of the highlights of my year!

Blueberry picking is so easy and fun. There are no thorns and the trees are perfect height. You don't need a ladder and you aren't bending down the whole time. And with the berries not being sprayed you can even eat a few while you're picking. Great motivation for the littles. The babies just hang out under the trees and wait for some to drop.

Each year I need to pick more due to the size of our family growing as a whole in number, but also because each kid is consuming more each year too.

But, with each new year the older kids are able to pick more than the last. It's become quite a team effort. When we've got berries in March, they will start to understand just how well hard work can pay off!

Apparently he thinks I've worked him a little too hard. Or possibly that he's waiting for one to fall into his mouth!

YUM!

Evening at the Park

2011-06-27T10:47:00.005-04:00

Annabelle's new face that is simply adorable! It's so new it doesn't even have a nickname yet. That will come soon, I'm sure.

Keeping close tabs on the boys.

A Rainbow 1st Birthday Party

2011-06-23T20:40:00.014-04:00

Annabelle celebrated her first birthday with her best friend Grayson earlier this month. Their due dates were a day apart, but he was born on the 5th and she was born on the 22nd. So, they compromised and celebrated their birthdays on the 11th. We had a rainbow themed party.

And here begin the adorable cake eating shots:

Grayson was such a gentleman. When he realized he was eating way more than his share of the cake, he decided to offer some to Annabelle.

The cake after we called it quits. They fell right in line with the typical boy/girl stereotypes on this one.

She hadn't quite had enough. She wanted just another nibble of Daddy's cupcake.

And then it was off to play in the water.

We couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate these two blessings we've been entrusted with.

HM SCL

2011-06-23T15:31:00.006-04:00

When we parked our van in Richmond for our first homeschool convention this was one of the very first vans we saw in the parking lot! I just had to laugh.

And then of course, take a picture.

We are pretty big advocates for homeschooling, but at that moment, I realized we were now surrounded by the big dogs!