HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY Aunt Weebies!

Here's a shot of the sisters (minus one) with Cole when we went horseback riding the morning before Erica's (AKA Weebs) wedding. L-R Me, Cole, Erica, Shelli. I wish we could all be together today...but at least we are in our hearts! We love you, Weebs!! Can't wait until we can ride again--and I hope Shelli gives us a laugh like last time when her horse sprinted for the jump and she yelled like a little girl! HAHAHAHA!!!

On the Road Again...

So we're starting our "Christmas Blitz Tour 2007". From this morning (Sunday) until arriving home Wednesday we will not be lying our heads in the same spot for any consecutive nights!! Our tour includes multiple destinations just south of Pittsburgh and in Cincinnati. We will have spent more time on the road than with family--but it is definately worth it. The kids are so excited to see everyone, Brayden has been crying about it for two days now because in his mind we should have already been there and back a few times!

Merry, merry Christmas to you. I pray that you find yourself in awe beside the manger bed.

John 3:16

My great-grandma was an amazing woman of God. She thought it very pertinent that I learn John 3:16 as soon as possible in my life. So by the tender age of 4, I had John 3:16 forever emblazoned in my mind and on my heart. After learning John 3:16, she presented me with a small box. Before I opened it, she explained very simply that the gift in that little box was nothing like the reward we have awaiting us in Heaven...that the gift of God's Son is the greatest of all gifts and that nothing on this earth could compare to what God did for us through Jesus. She also told me how proud she was that I took seriously the learning of this verse. And then I was finally allowed to open the box. Inside was a shiny, Susan B. Anthony silver dollar--something pretty cool to a four-year-old! Mind you, this all took place 25 years ago and I remember every detail. And I knew, especially as I got older, that I wanted to share that heritage with my children some day.

Well today was that day, sort of. Brayden and I recite the verse each night before bed--after he and his dad attempt to count to 20 together (Brayden gets a little screwed up after eleven, but we have fun with it anyways!). We've spent the past few months talking about what all of the words mean and what the verse as a whole is telling us. And while the day before Thanksgiving was the first time he said it without any assistance from me, tonight was the first time his dad had the opportunity to share in this humbling moment and the first time that we truly celebrated this accomplishment...and I can't explain the joy that is still bubbling in my soul at the sound of his little voice reciting John 3:16.

I guess the significance of it all really hit me and Daryl as we left Brayden's room. I had all of these different thoughts and emotions running through my brain. Then suddenly Daryl turnes to me and says, "That's pretty awesome that our little boy knows John 3:16 even before he can count to 20!"

Gram Chak would be glowing brighter than I am right now. Our little boy has received the greatest gift this Christmas...the beginning of Truth in his heart that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life"!

Calm in the midst of the storm

I have said it many times and I'll say it again...I do not know how so many go through life without the Lord, without faith, without an Anchor. Today has been one of those days which so many relate to...where everything is out of order and nothing seems to be right! Let me first digress...

We are in the midst of remodeling our home. What started out as a "one room at a time" project totally blew up (ahem, in one day) into an "entire remake of every room in the house AND garage minus the bathroom while we're still (attempting) to live in it" project. And did I forget to mention that the majority of this came without warning?

Yeah. Picture all of that with three little ones and you can get an idea of how much fun it has been!! I have to laugh in spite of myself!! Daryl has been rewarding me with almost daily "Medals of Honor"--more specifically in the areas of Patience, Perserverance, Rolling-with-the-Punches and Oh-Sorry-Honey-Did-I-Forget-To-Mention-That-We'd-Be-Doing-That-Too Award. I often think that our kids are the ones deserving of the awards...their schedules are totally amiss, as are their rooms, beds, house, etc. Nothing is as it has been!

All that being said, today is the first day that I broke down and shed a few tears over the process and called aloud for Jesus to give me strength and patience to see this project through. I don't want to paint an entirely bleak picture--our home was in dire need of a redo (built in the early 80's with no updates since) and it will be fabulous when finished--but I'm ready for it to be completed.

So...I will upload some photos of the process as soon as I have a chance. And pray for us that we are daily reminded that this too shall pass!

5 Months--and the best picture ever!

Sunday, Dec. 9th marked Sophia's 5 month birthday. Hard to believe she's that old already!! Granny and Pap were out to visit & help with the Christkindl Market. Granny decided to help Sophia celebrate by putting Brayden's new earmuffs (AKA cheek-squeezers) on her--as you can clearly see she was NOT initially impressed by them...




But the idea quickly grew on her and she was soon smiling from earmuff to earmuff...




She is truly such a happy baby, always smiling and now singing us these wonderful little tunes.



Her beautiful, big blue eyes (which she got from her Daddy) are twinkling and bright and bring us so much joy! I thought you would enjoy gazing into them as well...



She has now conquered rolling over from her back to her belly (which actually irritates her!). Oh, and doing "Windsor Pilate Powerhouse crunches" in her swing. It is hysterical to watch and about gives me a heart attack every time I see her doing it. I think that she's going to go head-over-feet right out of the swing! She still adores her brother and sister--and Brayden can get her belly laughing without much effort...she LOVES him!! They both still have a hard time giving her some personal space, but she'll handle her own soon enough. And she gets SO excited when her Daddy comes into the room...her chunky little leggies start kicking about a mile a minute!

And, of course, she still thinks her Momma rocks most of all...and I am totally LOVING that!

What a blessing you are, Sophia Kathryn.

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put
him or her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't
stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes
to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Belated thanks

Between nurturing my family, travelling, the business, and home remodeling I have had no time to blog. So before December hits, I would like to take a few minutes to give thanks...for faith, family, and friends. In that order. I've tried about six times now to put into words how I am feeling, but everything seems to fall short or sound corny, but you know me!

Even in my worst moments, I am certain of the blessings in my life. And when doubt creeps in, I am reminded of all the things God has brought me through--both big and small. I have found that every single day there is something to be thankful for, something to smile about. And if you're reading this, I can almost guarantee that you are among those blessings.

Without making this entry a novel, I can merely say with all humility and sincerity that I am so absolutely thankful God has given me this life. It is a gift. The very best gift.

Talk about Experiencing God...

To quote David from the book of Psalms, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good...His mercy endureth forever..." I am sitting in awe & gratitude of the Great Physician. My dr. called tonight around 9:15 to let me know that my echocardiogram and EKG from earlier today came back completely normal. No mitral valve prolapse, no crazy waves on the EKG, no anything. NOTHING. It is gone--praise the Lord! What an answer to prayer. Thank you, Jesus. I have been completely healed...and God gets all the glory. AMEN!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Girl!!

A Kodak moment...

Our cowgirl at Brayden's party!

A favorite shot taken last week

Four-wheeling at the cabin--been lovin' it since she was a newborn!

Savannah & Mommy right after she entered the world!



Chowing down her 1st birthday cake...not a crumb was left!

Savannah's 2 yr. picture

Personal favorites: The thumb and the blanket

I sit here typing at 12:25am...thinking about how two years ago at this moment we were in active labor with Savannah-- whom we were certain was a boy (not b/c of finding out, but just because of our gut feelings)--who was born at 12:47am. All of our family & friends know all of the drama surrounding this birth (dr. attempting to force us into an "elective" c-section, the baby "having" hydronephrosis, blah, blah, blah) but let me briefly revisit it just to state yet again that God is awesome and works in amazing ways.

The entire event was orchastrated so that He can be glorifed...and rightly so! I chuckle even now thinking about how our moms were in near-states of diarrhea (and we were cool as cucumbers) when we informed them that we were dismissed from our OB/GYN mere days before our due date for not agreeing to an elective c-section! We arranged a new doc to see on Monday, whom was a direct God-send, and we were in labor Tuesday. And all the while we were basking in the amazingness of our Creator, never doubting that this is where He wanted us, and having such an overwhelming sense of peace throughout the entire process. Then to reach down and lift up our baby for the first time and discover that it was a girl! What an amazing moment. I yelled, "It's a girl!" and both Daryl and I were in a state of shock. I double checked her nither-regions to be certain I wasn't imagining things! I could not believe it then, and I still sit in awe about it now.

We had the name Savannah chosen before we were even married. We would even talk about how "she" looked in our minds. But I felt, for whatever reason, that I would have all boys. Go figure. And honestly, she is exactly as we thought and prayed she would be--curly hair, beautiful eyes, and full of spunk! I like to think that the Lord was giving me/us a preview! What a blessing our Baby Girl is to our family. Brayden truly adores her and has from the very first time he saw her. I love watching them together.

I love the fact that I have a daughter (actually two daughters now) whom I thought I would never have. I love watching her face light up and hearing her shrill as her Daddy walks through the door. I love the fact that she's a Daddy's girl through and through...that she will never have to doubt of our Father's love for her because of the example she has here on Earth. I love how sassy she can be. I love that she can already hold her own in a crowd. I love that she is sensitive. I love that she sucks her thumb and has a beloved blanket. I love that she loves to play in the dirt with trucks and cars while holding and caring for her babydoll. I LOVE her laugh. I love her curls. I love her eyes. I love her insaitable appetite...and that she never lets others go hungry, either! I love her love for reading and hearing her call, "Read book me!" as she comes down the hall with 4-5 books in her arms. I love that she loves brushing her little chicklet teeth. I love watching her love on her little sister. I love watching her imitate her older brother. I love hearing her sing (and singing with her). I love hearing her sing herself to sleep at night. I love that she can't fall asleep without us praying with her and everyone giving/getting a kiss. I love the mere fact that the love of a little 2-year-old girl enamores so many hearts and brings so much joy into so many lives without even being aware of it and without even trying. I love that she (along with her brother and sister) has taught--and continues to teach-- me more about God's love and about my being His child than anything else in my life. I love being her Momma.

And I can't imagine our lives without her.

The beauty of Fall

WE LOVE FALL !

Its amazing to think that God created all of this for His glory and our pleasure. He speaks to me so vividly through His creation. I am always humbled and in awe of Him when I'm outside...especially in Fall. He could have just made the leaves fall off in one day, but instead He paints them all different colors, gets the lighting at sunset just right, and scents the air with that crisp, fresh smell so that I'm standing there in utter amazement at the beauty of it all...and of Him.

The kids and I have been having a blast in the leaves. Brayden & Savannah ( and me, too!) love seeing all of the pumpkins and watching all of the farmers around us harvesting their final crops for the season. We're drinking up all of the local homemade apple cider that we can because, like everything in life, this too will pass. Truly, to quote one of my favorites, This is My Father's World!

The Red Race Car Saga

Our saga began back in the summer when Brayden went with Daryl and Eric to Miller's Turf and Trail to look into the cost of a zero-turn mower. Yes, the bigger the boy the bigger the toy. While there, Brayden saw (maybe rode in?) a blue kid-sized go kart. Brayden was ecstatic when they arrived home and wanted to know if I had the money for his race car in my pocket (some explanation his Daddy gave him--hahaha good one, Honey). Anyways, every time we'd see an ad for Miller's or drive by on our way to the cabin Brayden would say, "There's my race car that we're going to buy."

Now fast forward to a few weeks ago. Brayden was playing in our backyard with his cars, trucks, etc., one of which is a little four-wheeler. Well, this little four-wheeler had gotten stomped on/run over and the wheels were broken...along with Brayden's heart. So at this particular moment of Brayden's life being flipped upside down my mom phoned. Now I must preface this by also saying that every time Granny walks through our door there is sure to be gifts and/or treats of some sort. And there have been so many packages sent in the mail, that our kids now scream, "Granny!" every time the postman delivers a box, oversized envelope, etc. whether or not its for them! You must understand that in my kids eyes Granny always has the goods. And not only does Granny deliver the goods, there is no limit to what the woman will do at playtime. Crawling into a kid-sized tent, wearing crazy get-up to play the part, making up games that only toddlers (and people with our odd sense of humor) find fun. In simple terms, Granny rocks. Big time.

All that being said, back to the saga. Brayden promptly gets on the phone and informs Granny that, and I quote, "my car broke, Granny. Would you please go out and buy me a new one at the store and wrap it up like a present and send it to me?" Did I mention that I love four-year-olds? Well somehow in the course of the conversation it got altered in Brayden's head that Granny & Pap were going to buy him The Race Car aka the kid-sized go kart at Miller's...and now it was red instead of blue. Before the phone was even back on the wall, Brayden was at the window wondering when Granny and Pap were going to pull in with his race car.

The best part of this story was the fact that Brayden then phoned nearly every day to inquire about his race car. One afternoon he phoned and asked Granny if she had talked to Pap about hitching the trailer to his truck to bring his race car out. Mind you, Pap doesn't even own a truck let alone a hauling trailer! And once when Brayden asked about his race car and Granny replied, "I'm working on it" as in "I'm seeing about buying one", Brayden took that to mean she was working on it literally. Like in the garage. With tools. And he exclaimed, "Well, is it big and red, Granny?!"

Needless to say, a red race car arrived at our home Friday, October 12th. Brayden was in shock for a brief period of time and our lives have not been the same since. I've never watched Nascar in my life, but there is no way that it can be more interesting or entertaining than watching my boy tear around our yard and beyond...usually with his sister sitting on the back waving like a Homecoming Queen! I LOVE IT! So enjoy some shots of him and them and, of course, the red race car.

Where does the time go??

This little guy is now 4 years old...I sit here typing in disbelief!! These are two of my favorite photos of him at 6 mos (below) and 1 year (above) and I can tell you every detail surrounding them like it was yesterday. Where does the time go?? What an adorable little baby...and now he's my adorable, double-slingin' "big boy". Sniff-sniff.

Brayden absolutely LOVED his fourth birthday. It was an entire weekend of celebrating his life...and what a blessing he is to us (and to all who love him). He played with every present that he received before going to bed AND some even went to bed with him. So needless to say, we have a serious need to catch up on sleep in our home!

Our "new" home

Here's some views of our "new" home for those who only got to see the realtor webshots or nothing at all. We are currently (as in today) beginning to paint the shutters, the front door, and the garage doors (which you can't see in these photos, but are located to the right of the second little porch). The siding will get painted as well when Daryl's season slows down. What a blessing this year has been--so much work still to do for the business and we're in October! We can honestly exclaim, "Jehovah Jireh, My Provider!" I also included a few shots of the back view of the house. Its hard to properly photograph it due to 1) all of the trees in our backyard and 2) the length of the house and garage seem to go on FOREVER! FYI...we absolutely love our screened in porch!! If you don't currently have one, I would highly recommend it. As a little disclaimer: we are on the 10 year plan here for all the fix-ups we'd like to do. If you're at all interested in hearing about all of the things we have planned, I'd love to share them. But be certain that you have some time and good visualization skills on hand! Anyways, enjoy. I'll upload new shots as we revamp things. And, just so you know, we look forward to entertaining you in our home no matter what the design stage!

Birthday time at the Cabin!

We celebrated Big D's birthday (as well as Dad's, Devin's, Jeff's and mine) at the cabin. You see, the family has started a tradition of spending a weekend of every month at the cabin. This was our first one and it just so happened that it fell on Daryl's birthday. Everyone had a great time...especially the kids (thanks to the adults!). As Aunt Krystal so aptly stated, "This has been the best day in the life of a kid!" Hiking, creek-walking, four-wheeling, a trailer ride, sleeping in a tent (even if it is set up in the basement), extended story-time, waffle breakfast, steak dinner, campfires each night, having all of your cousins with you when you go to sleep and wake up--what more could a kid want?? Did I mention the number of kids...TEN under the age of four! Kudos to all the aunts & uncles and Gramma & Grampa. It was truly wonderful! We're all looking forward to the next one!

Bugs, birthdays and bats

Like father, like son. Brayden surprised us one day by putting on a new Jayco shirt and Daddy's boots. What a moment to capture on film! He said, "I'm just like you, Daddy, huh?!" He's growing up so fast. It won't be long until he can actually fill those boots! He loves going to work with Daddy and "helping him get the job done". Today he decided to give me a heart attack after we came inside the house. He began screaming and jumping around on the carpet while grabbing at his foot. I thought it was a yellow jacket. He's screaming and shrilling while I'm yelling, "Is it stinging you?!" all the while swatting at his flying foot over and over again while he continued to scream and shrill. I was finally able to smash the living daylights out of our "yellow jacket", and we propmtly discovered it was merely a long-nosed beetle. Once we both clamed down, I asked Brayden if it had been stinging him and he promptly replied, "No, it was just eating on my toe!"

Daryl always said that he wanted a little girl who was just like her Momma. Yep, prayer answered. She is loud, stubborn, loves to sing, and can definately hold her own in any crowd. Sound like anyone you know?? Ah yes, and she also is very fond of her Daddy! The sun rises and sets around him...and rightly so. He is a great Daddy! She also thinks her brother and sister are something quite special. Her vocabulary is taking off. She is so much fun and so absolutely ornery too! This look says it all. She was getting a kick out of me fighting a bat today that was hiding in our porch. I had a huge blue stick and was swinging like a mad woman while this little furry bat squeaked and scatched inside its hideout trying its best to remain there. Needless to say, the bat is still there and my kids had some good laughs at their Momma's expense! (I did have flashbacks to our house in Naomi when a bat was in our house. It was clinging to the blanket being used as our safety shield--the best part was the gitups my uncle and dad were wearing to "fight" this little bat out of fear that they would get rabies! That bat's life ended quickly with a hammer if I remember correctly.) Did I mention that there's never a dull moment around here?

We're in the midst of birthday season. I got a great cake made on my birthday by my man and kids! We then all made ourselves sick eating it. Totally worth it and so special. I especially love this picture because I'm rarely in any of them--let alone one with all my kiddos--due to the fact that I'm the photographer! Note the lettering on the cake. Its in a smile shape...by accident. The cake was still warm and when we went to hold it up for the photo all the icing began sliding! Good times, good times. The big D's b-day is next, followed by his Dad, then Leight-dawg, and finally Brayden-boy! All of these by next Saturday!! Lovin' it.

What a mess!!

It's official...Sophia has her first infection and it's in her sinuses. After too many nights of little sleep due to her snorts, grunts, and crying over not being able to eat properly, we went to the doctor. And now its amoxicillin twice a day via a dropper. Now any parent can attest to this--what are they thinking?? Thankfully she takes it well, but it does get a little messy (AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SIDE)! I think that she rather enjoys the fun little game of watching Momma try to catch the medicine as it rolls out of her mouth and onto everything else. Only nine more days of this, thank goodness!

The Beginning...

Well, this is (hopefully) the start of something special. A little insight into the wild & wonderful world of our family! I struggled (at 11pm) to come up with something creative as our title--I thought that it summed us up quite nicely at present...seems that's what my life entails--babies, blankies and our business...who knew that all of the above at the same time could be so lively, entertaining, and sometimes draining??

Anyways, I am hoping that this site will give all of our family a chance to see the kids growing (its happening WAY too fast) and also to enjoy hearing some stories of our weekly antics and the like. We really have a good time around here--NEVER a dull moment. And I must admit that I am truly enjoying it! Well there are days or moments in any given day when I think, "Huh?", but I think that every parent feels that. Nonetheless, life is good. I have a phenomenal man sitting beside me on this wild roller coaster we call life--and I'm lovin' every minute of it. Yes, life is good and God is good....all the time.