the joys of raising jack & jovie

Jovie @ 2 Years

2012-01-25T21:50:00.003-06:00

sweet baby doll:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! you are 2 years old today. i just can not believe it. i remember your birthday perfectly. i miss holding you as a sweet newborn. but i love the little girl you are becoming. you are just way too much fun. you have become such a little light in our home. always smiling, always giggling, always singing, always talking and always giving loving to someone. we just can't get enough of you.

at 2 years old you weigh around 26 lbs. you are in an 18 months, 24 months and a just a couple of things you wear are 2t. we can tell that you seem to be thinning out. not so much losing weight as you are growing taller and leaner. but you still have those chunky baby legs that we love so much. you wear a size 6 shoe. we go see Dr Bubba next week so i'll know how tall you are pretty soon. you are VERY attached to you paci and your pink blanket. and i don't mind one bit!

you are officially potty trained. and i could just jump for joy. you do wear a pull up for naps and bed time. you can occasionally stay dry during naps but we aren't quite completely there yet, so you are in pull ups. but, i can take you in the car, in stores and restaurants in big girl panties. and you will stay dry. i'm SO proud of you. you were much easier to train that i thought you would be, you understood the concept on day 3 of potty training and you've been going strong ever since. you are such a smart girl!

we absolutely love your sweet little voice. every other word you say cracks (in tone) and its the cutest. you can say any word you want. you have learned so much just from listening to Jack. you say full sentences and can tell me anything you want. you are quite the talker. there are a few words that you twist to come out with a different sound, but me and dada can understand you really well. i really love the sound of your voice. and i think my favorite thing you say is "i uzz you momma" which means "i love you momma". and i think you say it 20 times per day. i never grow tired of it.

you have such a spunky, sassy, strong personality. you are a little bossy and very independent. you are very sensitive when it comes to your dada. he need only to have a firm tone of voice and you just fall apart. you are definitely my little sidekick. you want to go wherever i go all the time. i love it. i hope we are always close and that you always want to be near me. it just blesses my heart. you are crazy about Jack. i think you sort of idolize him. you give him loving all day long. you are interested in everything he does and you don't like to be away from him. y'all do fight and argue but you have so much fun together. i can not wait to see you with baby Jude. i don't think he will be able to breathe for all the kisses you will give him.

you are an incredible eater. just incredible. i think the only thing you don't like is carrots. honestly, you will try anything. and you prefer veggies to everything else. me and dada crack up all the time at how you beg for sweet peas, green beans and corn. you can never get enough. you also love peanut butter, cheese, mac n cheese, bread and strawberries. i'm so thankful for how well you eat!

you really are the most beautiful little girl i have ever seen. we tell you all the time that you are beautiful just the way you are, just the way Jesus made you. but we also try to teach you to be kind, gentle, patience, generous and loving to others. we pray you look more like Jesus than Jovie.

sweet girl. just thinking about you and how much i love you makes me emotional. you have blown me away. i never knew i could love having a little girl so much. and i long for the day that you have a sister. you have brought such a sweetness to our lives. you absolutely melt your daddy, you tickle your brother and you bless my heart. i am so thankful each day that the Lord gave you to us. we are praying that you come to know him at a young age, and serve him all of your life.

Happy Birthday, Jellybean!! we love you SO very much!

Capture 366: Week 3

2012-01-21T14:26:00.005-06:00

January 15-21

January 15: cereal night at Community Group!

January 16: 25 weeks and 1 day with sweet Judah

January 17: dinner at the clubhouse with Jenna

January 18: Mrs Connie, a sweet lady from our church, gave Jude his first baby gift. its a sleep sack and 2 little hats. love it.

January 19: spaghetti night. Jovie's favorite. she is rockin that headband!

January 20: i let Jack take a nap on my bed

January 21: we took this cute picture and sent it to Deda for his birthday

i am LOVING this project!!!

Capture 366: Week 2

2012-01-14T14:59:00.000-06:00

January 8-14

January 8: i put my mantle together using things i already own. i'm pretty pleased with it

January 9: let the potty training begin

January 10: we spent the day (and the week) camped out in my room watching movies, eating most of our meals and playing. i was trying to maintain the accidents to one room.

January 11: training day 3 and really starting to turn a corner. i'm so proud of her!

January 12: our stack of movies to enjoy while we potty train

January 13: potty time before, during and after naps!

January 14: the Harry Potter marathon begins at our house!

Capture 366: Week 1

2012-01-07T14:34:00.000-06:00

i saw a really cool thing on someone's Facebook and then i saw it again on Pinterest. so, i decided, back in October, that it would be a cool project for me for this year. i plan to take a picture each day. it can be a picture of anything or anyone. then you write a quick caption describing the picture. i really love this idea b/c i think it will be so fun to look back on December 31 and remember all the fun things we have done this year. and with 2 toddlers and a new baby on the way, i have plenty of picture topics!

i'm going to upload my pictures on my blog weekly. i think that will be way easier for me than trying to do it each week. so, here we go....

January 1-7

January 1: Revision Church's first sunday service at our new location, OBHS.

January 2: painting at home

January 3: family date night to the Grizzlies game

January 4: taking a walk outside with our strollers

January 5: playing in the backyard

January 6: dinner at Billie's Barn in Jackson, TN for a family birthday party

January 7: dinner at Jim's Place East for Deda's birthday

so excited to do this each day and blog about it each week.

goals for 2012

2012-01-01T15:27:00.001-06:00

i'm one of those nerds that enjoys New Year's Resolutions. i haven't always been that way. but i find that if i set a few goals for myself, that i really do think about them the rest of the year. and i try really hard to stick to it. i love that feeling of accomplishment. like i said, I'm a nerd. ha!

for the year 2011 a few of my goals were:

*read more.

and i actually did. i read around 7 books. i think. and for me, with 2 toddlers, thats pretty good.

*lose weight. that was my biggest goal. i lost 35 lbs. i started in January and really worked hard until i got pregnant in late July. at that point i started watching my calories but not being as strict and i have not been as diligent about exercise. but, my weight gain for my pregnancy, up to this point at 24 weeks, has only been 5 lbs.

*take more pictures. i only did so so in this area. so, i've kept that on the list for this year.

*eat healthier. overall i have done much better about buying healthier snacks and cooking healthier versions of recipes.

*buy our first home. it was actually more of a prayer request than a resolution. and i'm thrilled to say the Lord met a need for us and we LOVE our new home.

i have really been thinking and praying about a few, reasonable goals for myself for 2012. praying the Lord gives me the diligence and strength to follow through.

save money.

this is a personal goal for Ben and I. we have a few things we would like to have money for and a few things we would like to do to bless others. praying the Lord gives us the self control and discipline to meet our financial goals.

open our home.

since we moved into this house in early September, we have tried to have people over as often as possible. we try, at least once a week, to have someone over for coffee, dessert, dinner or to just hang out. we have really enjoyed getting to know the people of our church by just spending time with them. this year, we are hosting a community group on Sunday nights in our home. we are going to try and have families or couples over for dinner or dessert (hopefully one a week, hopefully) and we just want to have an open door policy in our home. it is our home and a haven for our family. but we always want people to know that we are available and approachable. we want to love people by being hospitable and courteous. and show them grace by always allowing them to come and spend time with us. i NEVER want to be the staff wife or staff family that is too busy or too private to love people. i enjoy having a busy schedule of spending time with people, as long as it does not affect our home life. but so far, that has not been a problem.

serve and teach my children.

ben and i have the conviction to homeschool our kids. its something i have always wanted to do and i'm so thankful Ben shares in my desire to teach our kids at home. i want to use this year to begin preparations to teach Jack some preschool material this fall. and i want each day to be an opportunity for them to learn, through my speech and behavior, about how to honor the Lord. i've been gathering some simple scripture that they can memorize and i plan to implement that soon. we have been working on colors, numbers and letters. and we sing simple songs to help teach memory skills. we pray with them and over them at night and throughout the day to show them they can always talk to Jesus. but i want to be intentional in teaching them some basic skills, including some things they can do around home to help.

be more intentional in my time.

i want to have purpose and plans for each day. i want to wake up before my kids. i want to the time they are awake to spend with them playing, learning or running errands. i want to use naps for housework. and bedtime for some light picking up but then i plan to spend time with Ben. i don't want to always be using my "free time" to do chores or media time. i need to plan time each day to spend with my husband and to make him a priority. i want to plan time, within reason, to be with the ladies of our church. just getting coffee, having them over, talking on the phone or going to lunch. i want to keep my relationships with them ongoing, fun and encouraging. honestly, i just want to be teachable, approachable, honest and full of grace in those areas.

make Ben my first priority.

i think this is pretty self explanatory. but i just want to carve out time for him each day. encourage him more often and pray for him constantly.

continue in my weight loss and exercise

once Judah gets here, i plan to hit it hard (after recovery) back into the calorie counting and regular exercise. i actually miss it. i want to get back into Zumba. i would love to lose more weight and just be healthy for myself and my family.

read

i already have several books in mind. i enjoy reading and i've really learned so much that way

capture 366

this is a daily photo project. you take a picture each day and write a small caption. then at the end of the year, you have so many fun pictures to look back on. and since this is a leap year, i have 366 days to document. i'm pretty excited about it!

decorate and DIY projects

i want to be frugal in my house decor. and i want to plan a few DIY projects to complete. i have so much fun doing this stuff and its a good outlet for me to have fun. i don't want to be over zealous and feel like every room in my house has to be "done". i just want to do things as we can afford them and as i have the time.

looking back over this list it seems a little overwhelming. but i believe it can be done. most of them are just things i can do in my everyday life. as i go. some of them will take a constant effort and prayer. but i'm excited to see how the Lord will help me this year. i can't wait to learn how to balance 3 kids! and i'm so excited to have Jude and make time for him too. he's going to be such a fun addition to our family.

Happy 2012!!

2011 in Pictures

2011-12-31T16:13:00.002-06:00

i've been doing this for the past couple of years and i love it. its so fun to look back over the months and remember how the Lord has blessed us with so much. 2011 was SUCH a sweet year for our family. so much happened. it was full of new experience and exciting news. and i can honestly say i learned more in 2011 than any year of my life. the Lord taught me so much about ministry, loving people, loving his work and changing my heart attitude about things. i am so thankful.

Jack and Jovie were such a blessing this year. they have grown to be so close and have so much fun together. i am so thankful that they are so close in age. it has been way more of a blessing than a hardship. the Lord always knows best.

excited to see how the Lord will move in 2012. excited to bring another sweet little boy into our family. we are so blessed.

2011:

January:

we had a big snow at the apartment

sweet Jovie Claire turned 1!!!

sweet playmates

February

we had a fun Valentine's Day and went out to eat as a family

we had some unusually warm weather so we played outside

Jack got the Woody doll from Toy Story. and so began his obsession.

March

i gave Jovie her first hair cut.

we did a lot of swinging at the park

we went to Grace Playce for the first time. we love getting to each week.

April

we tried out the new park at Shelby Farms

the Lord blessed us with a new car for Ben. thanks to some sweet friends who gave us a great deal and a little money in savings, we were able to pay cash. no monthly payments. that is a huge answer to prayer.

we had a fun Easter with all of our family

Jack and Jovie had their first Egg Hunt

and we took LOTS of walks at Shelby Farms

May

Jovie mastered the art of feeding herself

i had a sweet Mother's Day

we watched movies in bed

we gave lots of hugs

June

Katie took some AMAZING pictures of Jack and Jovie

we did lots of swimming at Mamie & Deda's house

Revision Church had its first baptism service

Ben had a fun Father's Day

July

we flew to Florida for a 2 week vacation. the first week it was just the 4 of us and the second week, Ben's whole family came down to join us.

Jack hurt his eye and had to get 3 stitches. poor baby.

Jack shared meals with friends

and Jovie wore pigtails for the first time

August

we stayed with Jenna while Mamie and Deda were gone on a cruise

we did some furniture shopping because we put a contract on our house in late July and closed on it in late August.

**we found out on August 22 that we were expecting baby #3. i'll have to upload the picture i have later.

September

we moved into our first home

my dad & I redid my kitchen cabinets. i LOVE the way they turned out

we told our family friends that baby #3 was on the way!

October

Jovie got even cuter

Jack turned 3!!!

we dressed up as a Bumble Bee and Woody for Halloween

November

we took a few walks at Olive Branch park

we went to Chris and Courtney's rehearsal dinner; we traveled to Jackson, TN so that Ben could officiate his cousin's wedding

we had a few family dates just going to dinner. and we had a wonderful Thanskgiving with our families. somehow, i have no pictures from that day. Boo.

December

we found out that baby #3 is a BOY!!! we have named him Judah Haddon. and we can not wait to meet our sweet Jude!

Jack fell in love with with Lolli's snow globe

we went to the Memphis game

Jovie got to wear her sweet smocked Christmas dress

we baked tons of goodies

we spent Christmas Eve at Mamie and Deda's house

we enjoyed Christmas morning at home

and we had fun opening gifts at Lolli and Poppa's house on Christmas night

** and Ben and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on December 30.

it has truly been an amazing 2011 for us. we praise the Lord for his many blessings. and we pray that we honor him in 2012.

5 YEARS

2011-12-30T15:41:00.001-06:00

today i have been married for 5 years. to my sweet husband, Ben. i could write for pages about how much i love and treasure him. or about how much he has taught me. or just about how thankful i am to have such a godly, loving husband.

i think the resounding thing i have learned from my husband this year, as i have watched him pastor a church, lead a staff and reach our city is GRACE. i swear his middle name should be Grace. i've never met someone who handles people so well. and who is so patient and usually very long suffering with others. including me. he has so much Grace with me and our children. he's so kind, tender hearted and forgiving. he NEVER complains. i mean never. and he treats people with such respect and love. it takes so much to make him angry, he never gives up on anyone and he's always around when someone needs a little extra help or advice. the way he talks to people is so encouraging and he shows true concern for the well being of others. he LOVES our church. really loves it. and he loves the other guys on staff. i'm so impressed by the way he manages them and creates an even playing field for everyone. he has taught me, just by his actions, how to love people. how to always extend grace to them, even in correction. Jesus always shows us more grace than we deserve. who am i to deny grace to anyone?!

i am so thankful for this 5th year of marriage. so thankful that i have been able to sit back and watch Ben's behavior. i can say he is not perfect. i could list out his faults. but i won't. you will never hear me speak ill of him. but i am SO proud of the man i am married to. and so thankful that i can learn from his everyday grace. he has been an encouragement to me in so many ways. and Jesus has used him to teach me and change my heart in so many areas. i want to love people like Ben does because he loves people like Jesus does.

looking forward to year 6. we have a new home, a new baby coming in April, a new community group that meets at our house and a growing church. we are so blessed. marriage is so sweet.

Happy 5th Anniversary to my love. i love following you through life.

Christmas Day

2011-12-28T17:31:00.001-06:00

Christmas Day was different for us this year. Revision had a service that morning and it was so good. i absolutely loved getting to be with my family and church family as we worshipped the Lord, took communion & listened to Job and Ben talk about the Christmas Story, starting from the Old Testament. i wish we could have a Christmas morning service each year.

Ben and I got up early Sunday morning & got the living room ready for the kids. we turned on Polar Express on the tv, i cooked french toast and then we went to wake up the kids. it was early so they were tired but as soon as they got downstairs and saw their gifts they were so excited. we loved being able to have that time with our kids, watching them get excited.

Jovie got a baby doll that cries and takes a bottle and a paci. she also got a pack n play for her baby doll, a Barbie in her stocking and a snowman blanket. Jack got a train that runs around the tree, a set of plastic golf clubs, a robot in his stocking and a snowman blanket. i think just getting new stuff was so overwhelming for them. Ben had to leave early to get to church and i got the kids dressed and ready to go.

after church, we came home to pack up our stuff and head to my mom's house. we spent the rest of the day there eating, opening gifts and eating some more. the Australians were back this year to spend their 2nd Christmas with us, and we love having them. we had such a sweet time of talking, making fun of each other and relaxing. i love that i have so many siblings and that we all get along so well. Jack and Jovie were overwhelmed by the amount of wrapping paper and boxes everywhere in my mom's living room. i think that was the most fun part for them. i'm so thankful for my sweet parents and how they have always made Christmas such a fun time full of great memories and fun activities but at the same time taught us about Jesus. we got home late Christmas night and we were worn out.

i love the glow of the tree on Christmas morning

Jack's stase on the left, Jovie's on the right

the shared pile. its the Bullseye horse from Toy Story. Jack's stocking on the left and Jovie's on the right

Jack's train that Ben set up to go around the tree.

checking out the gifts for the first time

fascinated by the train

loving on her baby doll. she is too sweet.

she couldn't figure out how or why it was making noise

Ben helping set up her baby pack n play

bubble bath that came in their stockings. and probably one of their most favorite gifts.

its hard to share a new toy on Christmas morning

my beautiful babies ready for church

my mom's tree. and the million gifts. but, there were like 20 of us there. so i guess its ok. ha!

opening presents at Lolli and Poppa's house

Jack got SO excited to open each gift. he was more excited about opening than he was the actual gift. cute kid.

this is the face of exhaustion

me and my girl on Christmas Day. she looks cute, i look crazy.

my favorite gift this year. from my mom and my MIL. 16 place settings in beautiful white dishes. plus the pitcher. i love it and i'm so excited to have people over for dinner!!

so thankful for each Christmas. and so thankful for the grace of Jesus that allows us to enjoy the fun activities of the holiday season. i can't wait until next year when we will celebrate with 3 kids!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-27T21:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is every bit as wonderful as Christmas Day. i get so excited about it each year. probably because we spend our time with Ben's family on Christmas Eve. i love the traditions. we eat the same meal every year: beef tenderloin with gorgonzola cream sauce, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, green bean casserole, rolls, sparkling cider and my MIL's homemade cheesecake for dessert. after dinner, my FIL reads the Christmas Story and discusses his favorite details about it. then we jump in the car and deliver and tin of Ricki's Cookies to all of their closest friends in the area. and since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year & Revision was planning to have a service that morning, we decided to go ahead and open presents that night too. and then spend all of Christmas Day at my parents house. it actually worked out great and i think its the way we will do things from now on.

i love that the Williams family is constantly growing. last year was my SIL and 2 nephews first Christmas with us. and this year, Tripp and Cris had sweet Bennett. he is so sweet and we loved sharing in his first Christmas. i can not wait for Judah to be here next year. my MIL is running out of space on her mantle for all of our stockings! so sweet. i could not have asked for a better family to marry into. they are truly my own. and i love spending Christmas with them each year.

and as always, its so fun to watch Jack and Jovie have so much fun. so thankful for each holiday with my babies.

my MIL's amazing tree

12 stockings and counting....

i love this sweet picture

we ordered take out for lunch. my biggest craving this pregnancy has been hot wings. so, my sweet husband obliged. and i enjoyed every bite of my Christmas wings!

Mamie and Deda got Jack and Jovie these plasma cars. they are the neatest thing. you steer them with your body and they will just keep rolling. Jack figured it out immediately, Jovie not so much. ha! we are leaving them at their house so that they can always have them to play with when they are over there.

you learn to take what you can get. ha!

excited about his train whistle

our Christmas Eve table. so pretty. i love it every year.

the kids table. Jack and Jovie loved sitting next to their cousins.

opening gifts

Jack got a big hot wheels truck and some Toy Story cowboy boots. which he loves. Jovie got a baby doll and a tea set.

i am so thankful for our sweet families. and so thankful for another sweet Christmas Eve.

a very busy December

2011-12-26T15:32:00.001-06:00

we have had the busiest of busy Decembers. but it has been really good. we were able to have a few slow, relaxing days at home that made the busy days worth it. Jack & Jovie really enjoyed the holiday season. it was so much fun to watch them get excited about the sights and sounds of Christmas. having a toddler is oh so much fun.

i'm just going to go crazy with pictures for this post. not so wordy.

sharing some popcorn. i love those huge christmas tins!

we let them skip naps one day to watch a Christmas movie. complete with a pallet on the floor. they lasted about 20 minutes and they were out! ha!

having fun in the nursery. excuse the crazy spray paint walls. our church does meet in a skating rink. but only for one more service! we are excited to be moving to OBHS in January!

Jovie looking cute at the Christmas Tree lighting in Old Towne.

Jack was not so thrilled to have his picture made. typical boy.

we had to spend a few mornings in the car, christmas shopping. we even skipped naps a couple times. poor kiddo just couldn't hang.

sweet girl. and her traveling buddies: blanket & paci. we go nowhere without them. nowhere.

my mom has this snow globe. its a christmas tree with a little train that goes around it. Jack LOVES it. each Christmas he gets excited about it. he will sit on the couch, for forever, and inspect it from all angles. so sweet.

this is one of my favorite pictures, ever. i plan to set it out each Christmas.

my christmas mantle. very first one, ever. so excited about it and love the way it turned out. i think i spent $8 total on it. which makes me love it even more!

my parents hosted the annual Weaver Gingerbread House competition. the Kublers won this year with their Memphis Zoo house. it was super cute.

sweet hugs

the tree in the grand lobby of the Peabody Hotel. this thing is ginormous. and so very beautiful. Jack and Jovie were in heaven.

headed to the annual Kubler Christmas party. and of course, Jack would not look at the camera!

Aunt Lindsay with Jack and Jovie. they love her so.

ladies of the Kubler party. we have so much fun every year! 4 of us are preggo in this picture! i love it!

we had to force the boys to take a picture. they are absurd.

sweet Jovie in her Christmas dress. the nativity scene is smocked on it. loved it.

we took Jack and Jovie to their first Memphis game of the season. we had a lot of fun and they did really well!

cheesy face at the Memphis game. he's adorable.

Memphis game

best picture i could get of the 2 of them. they are so busy.

we did a lot of painting. we painted christmas ornaments & pictures. i think its their new favorite activity. they ask to do it everyday.

eating popcorn at Mamie's house

my MIL decided she wanted to start a fun tradition at Christmas each year. she asked me, Jenna and my SIL, Cris, to come over, bring our kids and do some baking. we baked TONS of stuff. i mean tons. and we had it sitting around for the couple days before Christmas. Jack and Jovie had so much fun and i'm looking forward to this tradition with Ben's family each year. these are the sugar cookies for Jack and Jovie. some of them they poured sprinkles on and some of them they got to use real icing. they were SO proud of themselves!

it was such a messy job but they did great. i think they ate as much as they decorated!

so sweet.

he showed me every single cookie he decorated.

finished cookies. don't they look delish?! ha!!

all done. they had so much fun. so glad we did this for them!

most of the stuff we made. we ate for days!

holding hands in the car just because they want to. love it.

i hate that this picture is so blurry. i took it with my phone. we went to Zoo Lights on December 23. Jack and Jovie loved being bundled up and looking at all the lights. we had so much fun as a family.

this was Jack and Jovie's favorite part of Zoo Lights. the dinosaur at the entrance. apparently, the Zoo will have a dinosaur exhibit from March-July. this guy moved and roared and the kids were so fascinated by that! i guess we'll be checking out the exhibit this spring.

another blurry photo. bummer. but this was Jack's favorite tree outside of Teton Trek.

Jovie's favorite thing was to push the stroller through the Zoo

Katie took this picture of Jack at her house. love it.

we have had such a fun month and i'm so thankful. i always want my kids to know and celebrate Christ, all through the year. but i do want December to be a special, fun time that they can look forward to each year. having kids just makes Christmas way more fun!

Jack @ age 3

2011-12-22T10:40:00.003-06:00

my sweet big boy,

you are now 3 years old. i can hardly believe it. this may sound crazy but in all my days before motherhood, i would daydream about what it would be like to have my own little ones. and whenever i would think on that time, i would always think about how i wanted a 3 year old. sounds weird, but its true. i knew that was the age that a child could really carry on conversations & understand so many neat things. and now, you are 3. and you are far better than any child i dreamed up in my head.

you are SO busy. and i think you talk 99.9% of the day. you are only quiet when you sleep. but to be honest, i don't mind it at all. in fact, i love it. i love that you want to talk to me, you want to share things with me, you want me to be excited about the things you love. it is such a sweet time and we make so many fun memories each day.

you can now say any word you want. or at least give it a good college try. you speak in full, run on sentences. and you repeat everything. all of our friends and family love that about you. you say "momma" about 300 times per day. you call Jovie, "Jodie or sissy". some funny words that you mispronounce are snowman and angel. you call them "snonan and angum" it comes out so country and we love it. most times when you talk, i must translate for everyone else, except dada. you speak so fast and sometimes confuse a few of your consonants. but overall, you are doing fantastic when it comes to speech. your favorite phrase is "its taking a break" you say that about everything. it started when we would make you put up Woody and Buzz for awhile. (mostly for our own sanity!) and we would tell you that we needed to put up Woody so he could take a break. and now, you say that about everything. in all situations. its hysterical. you actually say "drake instead of break" you confuse the d and b sounds a lot. but we are so proud of you.

you are a pretty picky eater these days. Dr Bubba tells me that its pretty common and that you will grow out of it. and i hear from Mamie that dada was pretty picky too. you just don't want to try very many new things at all. you would eat the same things over and over and over if we let you. you love: chicken, french fries, pizza, apples, peanut butter, oranges, grapes, strawberries, bread, waffles, bacon, eggs, cereal bars, baby carrots, popcorn, cheese and turkey. most other things we have to force you try and a lot of times you will like it. sometimes, you won't. we are trying to be patient and encourage you to at least try things. but, you eat like a little bird. oh well, i'm actually praying you turn a corner on that soon!

you have a great imagination. you play so well by yourself and with others. we hardly ever feel the need to entertain you. there are some days that i can tell you are stir crazy and need some interaction or an outing to the park or target. but most of the time, you entertain yourself and Jovie really well. you are really creative and so smart. you catch on to things so quickly and we can even tell that you devise little plans to get things that you want or to try and make something happen.

the most trying thing about your age is discipline. since you can talk so well and are so independent, you want to argue or tell us no about things. that is probably our biggest struggle. you are really kind to Jovie (most of the time) but learning to share and to obey the first time you are told is a daily battle. but, we know these things are normal and part of growing up. we pray each day, mostly all day, that you will have a tender heart towards us and discipline. that you will respond with an obedient heart and sweet spirit. that you will set a good example for Jovie and most importantly that you will learn to obey because it is pleasing to the Lord. we really try to teach you the biblical aspects of why we discipline you. and sometimes i feel like you get it and sometimes it seems like you don't. i can tell that you are sensitive to us. you usually break down pretty quickly. we are always trying to learn when to spank you and when to correct you verbally or both. we are trying to have a healthy balance of mercy and grace with you. because that is how Jesus is with us. but, we are also trying to be consistent in our approach to you. i pray that you know that we do these things out of love and that we always approach you with patience. but that can be hard sometimes. we are not perfect parents! i can honestly say that this time of learning how to properly discipline you has been really good for me. it is hard but i haven learned so much about how the Lord loves us, and disciplines us. and how is he is always long suffering and quick to forgive. i am so thankful for you because you teach me so much. it has been a sweet time.

i love watching you with Jovie. it makes me SO SO SO thankful that you two are so close in age. it has been such a blessing. you are best friends. you do fight and argue. and there are days i feel like you may kill each other, but when you are apart, you search for each other. and you are always giving hugs and kisses to each other. you look out for Jovie and you share in her excitement for things. i'm praying you are always the big brother that she needs, always pointing her to Jesus. you have been so perfect for her and she is perfect for you.

we talk to you a lot about baby Jude. you always say he is in momma's tummy. and you talk about your little brother a lot. we can not wait for you to meet him. you are just gonna love it. we are so excited for you to have a little brother to grow up with, it will be so fun.

you absolutely LOVE our church family. and that blesses my heart. you are so comfortable with most of them because you are around them all the time. you know them by name and you get excited when we tell you we are going to see them. we are so thankful for Reid or baby Reid as you call him. he is the only little one in our church besides you and Jovie. he loves you and Jovie so much and y'all love to be around him. i'm so thankful for you to have another kid to be around. its been really good for all of us. i am praying that in this next year, we have several more babies born and/or children to join our church. i want your best friends to come from our church family.

well, this has been a long update on you. but i haven't done one in a LONG time!

happy 3rd birthday. you are a blessing to us. i get emotional just thinking about you. and i am learning more and more what it means to really pray intentionally. you are so much fun and you bring so much joy to our home. we are praying that in the next few years that you understand your sin and that Jesus wants to redeem you. we pray that you serve him and his church all of your days. we love you sweet little boy!!

p.s. you have been potty training for a couple months and you are doing really well. in January we are going to drop the diapers and try big boy underwear. hopefully it will encourage you to do more than just tee tee in the potty!!

Jack's 3rd Birthday

2011-12-21T14:55:00.009-06:00

we had Jack's 3rd birthday party on October 24. he turned 3 the next day. we had so much fun. i went with a train theme because (outside of Toy Story) that is what he is really into these days. and it was super easy to run with for the party. i had the invite made on etsy. love how it turned out!! i had Brittany make his shirt & i love how it turned out. then Stephanie Erwin made his his cake and cupcakes. i was SO impressed by her work. it tasted fantastic and looked perfect. i'll be using her again for Jovie's birthday.

we had our family & church family over for the party. it meant so much to me for Jack to be surrounded by the people who really love him and invest in him on a regular basis. we have an amazing family & we have been so blessed to have so many close friends at Revision that truly love our kids & take interest in them. it means the world to me & Jack really loves each of them.

Jack got so many wonderful gifts. he got books, clothes, a backpack, a sleeping bag, a tent, toys and even a homemade pillowcase. definitely enough stuff to keep him busy for awhile! the big gift that we got him was a train table. we saved up extra money & i ended up getting a great deal on it. he has so much fun with it & its big enough that he & Jovie can play together. which is so nice.

the only bummer to the party was that Jack was running a fever. which is so crazy. every single birthday party he's had, he's run a fever that day. so weird. the only thing i can think of is that his birthday always falls around the time the weather starts really changing and he gets a head cold. who knows. but, after i gave him some tylenol he started feeling better and was able to enjoy himself.

overall, it was a perfect night for Jack. i'm SO thankful to have such a sweet and loving little boy. each year with him is more fun and i love getting to spoil him a little bit with a fun birthday party. so thankful for my kiddos.

pictures from the party:

not feeling so hot at this point

Jovie woke up from her nap just in time for the party. sweet girl.

the yummy cupcakes. they were so good and so cute!

this was Jack's favorite one. he noticed the train tracks right off the bat!

pumpkin icing. oh yes.

how cute is this cake?! seriously, i LOVED it! the train tracks around the bottom with Jack's real train was the perfect touch! he was so excited!

loved the clouds!

he got so embarrassed when everyone started singing! so cute.

Jovie did not miss out on the cupcakes. she sat with Lolli and devoured it.

my brother, Ricky, made this pillowcase for Jack. i remember having one like this when i was growing up. i love that Jack has one now. and i hear that Jovie might be getting one soon...

Brittany made Jack this backpack. love it. he will need a larger one and he is outgrowing a diaper bag. Lindsay got him a smaller one with a train on it which is perfect for him too!

Jack's train table. Ben spent all afternoon putting it together. and it was worth it because Jack was so excited to get it!

i love his train shirt. Brittany did a great job and Jack still loves wearing it!

Jack is a true perfectionist. he just can not handle for anything, including toys and food, to not be as they should. so each time that the magnetic train came apart, he got so upset. i think he thought he was breaking it or doing something wrong. he finally figured out that its ok for the train parts to be separated. and now he isn't so hard on himself. he's such a funny kid.

i love his sweet little face. this was after the train fiasco! ha!

and finally a true smile. his little cheesy face.

so thankful for such a great little boy. and so thankful he had so much fun!

playing catch up

2011-11-11T14:40:00.003-06:00

oh yuck. its pretty ridiculous how FAR behind i am on my blog. i could blame it on my insanely busy life full of new changes but really, it just comes down to my laziness. i really haven't had much of a desire to blog & when i do i fee so overwhelmed by how far behind i am that i just put it off another day. oh geez.

i was going to try & back blog. starting in august & a few posts for each month until now. but, enter my laziness, i just don't want to take the time to do that. so, i'm going to jot down all the things that have happened since August 1 & go from there. sounds good to me.

August

* we bought our first home. its perfect for our family. it really feels like it was built just for us & our needs/desires. we are SO very thankful to the Lord for what he has given us in this house. what a blessing. i'll do a separate post about it later. for now, i'll just post a picture.

* we found out on August 22 that we are having another baby. and we are so excited. i am due April 29 and i can not wait to meet this sweet one. we find out the sex of the baby on December 5, just 3 weeks away. i'm going crazy with anticipation. children are such a blessing!

September

* we moved into our home on the 1st of the month. my dad & i spent the first week redoing my cabinets and to say i love them is an understatement. it was SO much work but it was SO worth it. just the update that they needed. i'll post pictures later.

* on the 7th, our sweet nephew, Bennett was born. it was so much fun to love on him, such a sweet boy.

* on the 24th, we were given a house warming party at our new home. hosted by my closest friends, Brittany & Kathe. it was so sweet for us to have everyone we love in our home. we want this house to be used for ministry & loving on people. we're so excited to have a place, in a city we love, to do just that. we also told everyone that night that we are expecting baby #3!

October

* Jack turned 3 on the 25th. holy moly. i was not prepared for that. we had a birthday party for him here on the 24th, with all of our family and friends. i will definitely do a separate post on that too. i actually have a fair amount of pictures to share.

* we had a fun halloween on the 31st. the kids went trick or treating in my in-laws neighborhood and got tons of candy. we still have most of it lying around. this is not good for me. ha!

November

* Ben officiated his cousin's wedding on the 5th, in Jackson, TN. we went down for the weekend. the wedding was really beautiful and we had a great time just getting away, staying in a nice hotel & seeing family.

* tonight we will be with our community group from church doing a service project in our town. and tomorrow night, it is Reid's 1st birthday party. I'm excited!

we have a busy rest of the month planned, full of birthdays, thanksgiving, black friday and christmas preparations. i am really looking forward to the holiday season this year. ok, i always look forward to the holiday season. but i am especially excited to spend it with my family. and to teach my kids about the birth of Christ and why we even celebrate.

i must say how blessed i am by our church. all of our time is spent with these people, just doing with life with them. and it is incredible. never have i experienced such love, biblical fellowship, biblical teaching & true community. the Lord is moving, working & teaching me (and all of us) so much. i am so thankful to be part of it. and it blesses my heart that everyone loves my kids so much. its a big deal to me. i look forward to our worship service & community group meetings each week. i love that Ben loves what he is doing. my heart is full. the Lord's work is just so good.

pregnancy wise, i am doing great. i was pretty sick for about 4 weeks, but now i have my appetite back. and i finally have more energy. i'll be 16 weeks on Sunday. and i felt the baby move for the first time on November 9. pregnancy is draining, duh. but it is so special and i honestly really enjoy it. i'm really looking forward to our ultrasound in 3 weeks and i can not wait to meet this sweet baby in April. i really, really love having babies!

and now i feel SO much better about my blogging. so what if i'm 3 months behind. right?! i'll get there. slowly.

Psalm 126:3

"the LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with JOY!!"

July in Pictures

2011-07-31T12:04:00.003-05:00

we have had a jam packed summer. always somewhere to go & something to do. i have tried so hard to be diligent in taking pictures. thank goodness for my iPhone!

here are a few pictures from our month:

we discovered Jovie loves corn on the cob. i think this picture is hilarious!

we rode a few rides at the mall

one of Jack's favorite things to do is ride the train at the mall. it was so fun to see him enjoy it so much!

he just couldn't get enough!

cute girlie.

we tried pig tails for the first time!

and they turned out so cute!

Jack brought a friend to dinner

and Jovie got even cuter!

thankful for the AMAZING ways God has provided for us this month.......

Jovie @ 18 Months!

2011-07-25T11:52:00.000-05:00

sweet baby, you are 18 months old today. such a big girl. and so sweet. i'm so proud to be your mom! you are full of personality and you make life so much fun.

at 18 months you weigh 24.5 lbs. you are in the 90% for your head & the 50% for your weight & height. you wear a size 5 shoe and size 5 diaper. your clothes are all 18 months.

you are the best eater. so thankful for that. the only thing you don't like is strawberries & grapes. but you will literally eat anything else. funny how you & Jack are so opposite in this way. your favorite foods are: green beans, eggs, oranges, peanut butter, milk, pasta, rice, potatoes & green peas.

you have the most tender heart. which we love. you are so sensitive to the tone of our voices. you respond well to discipline but you definitely have a stubborn streak. and you have no problem with letting us know when you are unhappy about something. you are always giggling & grinning. you play very well by yourself but you would always rather play with brother.

speaking of brother, you have a great relationship with him. you play so well together. the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave you both to us so close together. we are so thankful for the sweet bond that you share. there are definite times of frustration between you & Jack. he loves to irritate you & you love to fuss at him. its pretty funny. but, you can definitely hold your own against him! and he is so sweet to you. brother is always checking on you when you cry & telling you he loves you.

you still take 1 nap per day, usually for around 2.5 hours. many, many times we have to go wake you up! you go to bed around 8:30 & sleep until 7:30 the next morning. you have always been an excellent sleeper. and you constantly fall asleep in the car!

your vocabulary is really improving. you love to repeat us & Jack all the time. you can pretty much tell me whatever you want.

Jovie, you are the most precious girl. you are so loving & snuggly. we praise the Lord for you every single day. you are a blessing. praying that we are always the parents that you need us to be. praying that you come to know the Lord at an early age & serve him faithfully all of your life.

Happy 18 months, darling. i love you so much.

Ft Myers Vacation: Miscellaneous PIctures

2011-07-06T11:38:00.004-05:00

i have a bunch of leftover, random pictures from our 2 weeks in FL. thought i would just throw them all together in this post. its WAY easier than going back & creating more posts.

and here we go..........

Ft Myers Vacation: Beach Pictures

2011-07-04T11:18:00.005-05:00

we were able to get some great pictures on the beach one night. it was hilarious because we did so many different things to try to get Jack & Jovie to look at the camera. it was pretty ridiculous. but i'm thankful for the pictures we got! i may even use one for our christmas card this year!

our pics from the beach:

me and my sweet MIL. love this woman.

me, Cris & Jenna. so thankful for such sweet sisters.

love my love.

Mamie & Deda with the kiddos

how cute are they?!

nekkid babies. we had to wash all that sand off!

riding back to the condo with the windows down, sporting our beach hair!

such a fun night! so thankful for the beach, family & great pictures!

Ft Myers Vacation: Orzo & Wild Rice Recipe

2011-07-03T14:42:00.002-05:00

we did a lot of eating out at some really yummy places while we were in FL. but we also did a lot of cooking in the condo. we ate some delicious food & had fun cooking together. one night, Jenna and I were in charge of cooking. we grilled pork loin & veggies. we also had bread & we tried a new recipe.

Jenna & I both LOVE J. Alexander's restaurant. its probably our favorite. the Orzo & Wild Rice side dish is just out of this world. we're addicted & unashamed. ha! we decided to try & find the recipe online & create the best version of it that we could. i must say, we got it dead on. it was as good as the one in the restaurant. easily. everyone loved it. and i will definitely be making it again. very soon!

we doubled this recipe b/c we thought it wouldn't make enough. well, we ended up with TONS of leftovers! so, it may not need to be doubled at all!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wild rice

2 cups water

1 cup orzo pasta

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons craisins

2 tablespoons corn kernels, drained

3 tablespoons diced yellow bell pepper

3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper

3 tablespoons diced green bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Bring the wild rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender but not mushy, 20 to 45 minutes depending on the variety of wild rice. Drain off any excess liquid, fluff the rice with a fork, and cook uncovered 5 minutes more. Once finished, spread into a shallow dish, and refrigerate until cold.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta, and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, and chill.
Place the chilled rice and orzo into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the red onion, currants, corn, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Season with 2 tablespoons basil, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil. Slowly whisk in the canola and olive oils until emulsified. Stir the dressing into the pasta, and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

this recipe says that it serves 4. but it easily serves 6. at least.

isn't it beautiful?! almost too pretty to eat. almost.

try it. love it. and thank me for sharing. ha! just kidding. maybe.

Ft Myers Vacation: Random Pics

2011-07-02T13:36:00.006-05:00

the rest of the trip i wasn't as diligent about taking pictures every single day. i took them when i could & when i remembered but i spent a lot time just relaxing & having fun with our family.

on day 7, we relaxed at the condo. went to eat lunch at a place called Buffalo Chips (so yummy) and went back to the condo to wait for Tripp, Cris, Nelson, Drew & Jenna. that night we went to eat at Big Al's & then we all went to bed early.

the next day, Jimmie & Frances flew in from Memphis., they got there around lunch time. we went to eat seafood that night at Swan Lake Grille. Jack & Jovie were SO happy to have Mamie & Granddad here.

one morning we decided to go to the Hyatt hotel. its about 1 minute from our condo. we are able to go there & swim anytime because they have a partnership with our condos. Ben's family kept telling us how beautiful & up-scale this hotel is & how we should go check it out. we decided to load up our kids & head over to spend the morning swimming in all of their pools.

we could NOT believe our eyes when we got over there. it was unbelievable. so beautiful. like a caribbean paradise. they had a few slides through waterfalls & even a kiddie slide for the little ones. Jack absolutely loved that part! Cris & Tripp spent their anniversary night there & so we got to go up & see their room too. it was amazing with just incredible views. it was such a fun morning & so nice to be able to relax & do something different with our kids. we loved it.

a few pictures from various days of our vacay:

eating lunch at Buffalo Chips.

me & sweet Jovie Claire.

Jack LOVED playing in the fountain in front of the condo

Jack spent our time in FL sleeping on an inflatable toddler mattress. he did great! he liked to lay Woody down in the bed with him when he took his naps & loved to make sure that Woody was covered up & snuggled. so sweet.

the Hyatt hotel. so Floridian and beautiful.

the view from the balcony of Cris & Tripp's room. GORGEOUS.

the wading pool. so neat & full of kids. Jack & Jovie loved it. you can barely see the 2 slides on the left & right. we only tried the toddler slide. so much fun for Jack.

this waterfall was freezing cold. but so pretty.

have i mentioned how beautiful this place was, also, very crowded!

Jovie had just woken up from her nap & i was taking advantage of her snuggles!

Ft Myers Vacation: Beach Day

2011-07-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

Day 6 we spent time at the beach. and then we ate dinner at a small seafood place in Ft Myers followed by dessert at The Cheesecake Factory. mmmmm.

to get to the beach from our condo, we take a shuttle to the dock. then we get on a large pontoon boat, with other guests from our condo & take a fun 15 minute boat ride across the bay & to the beach. we love it. Jack really loved the boat ride & Jovie loved pointing out to the bay & saying "water, water, water!" they both had a great time, we probably could have just ridden the boat back & forth all day & they would have loved it.

once we got to the beach, Jack walked right out to the water & began playing. Jovie was a little more hesitant. she wanted me to hold her most of the time b/c she was a little unsure. she loved being able to splash but she did not love when the tide would come in & splash her. it was hilarious. they both had a great time playing with their beach toys, picking up shells & chasing each other up & down the beach. Jovie got a little fussy the longer we stayed. and the storm clouds began to roll in & brought the rain. we ended up leaving the beach after about 90 minutes. but it was the perfect amount of time for the kids to play. we headed back, scrubbed them down in the shower, fed them lunch & put them down for naps.

for dinner we ate at a small hole in the wall place called The Clam Bake. it was pretty good if you like fried seafood (which Ben LOVES). after dinner we decided we needed some dessert. we remembered that there is a Cheesecake Factory about 20 minutes down the road & we decided to make the drive. totally worth it. we got 3, yes 3, different cheesecakes & we all split it. Jack's very favorite was the Godiva Chocolate cheesecake. and it is divine. the kids absolutely loved getting to eat that much dessert!

Jack & Jovie had so much today & we loved getting to watch them have a good time.

Jovie was a little nervous at first about the boat ride. she wanted me to hold her, not dada. ha!

Jack loved being able to sit in the back of the boat & watch the water spray

Jovie warmed up to the boat ride & even had fun

SO excited!

testing out the water

Jack was sticking his hands as far down into the sand as he could

happy beach baby. at least for now. ha!

playing in the waves

he would make this face every time there was a big wave that crashed on his feet

sweet hugs

poor Jack hated his hat

all the waves would knock her back. she did not love that. but it was pretty funny!

and she's had enough of the water. bless her heart!

me and Jovie at Cheesecake Factory. yes, i'm aware of the poor lighting & poor quality of this picture. but, its the best i could do!

my white chocolate blueberry cheesecake. so yumm.

sweet Jovie & her sweet dada

love him. and he loves the chocolate cheesecake. can you tell?!

a boat ride, the beach, some waves, a nap, and some cheesecake make for a pretty sweet day.

Ft Myers Vacation: Cars 2

2011-06-30T12:59:00.003-05:00

our day 5 was really fun. Jack & I went in the morning to get his stitches removed while Ben & Jovie went swimming. Jack did FANTASTIC when they took out the stitches. they just laid him back & clipped them right out. he barely made a peep. i was so proud of him.

after lunch & naps we went to see Cars 2 & eat at Big Al's for dinner. it was the first time for both Jack & Jovie to be in the movie theatre. we were a little nervous about how they would do with everything but they did way better than we anticipated. there were plenty of other little ones in the movie with us, which made it fun. Jack & Jovie loved the environment & they had a great time getting to sit in their own chairs. we were able to make it through about 3/4 of the movie. they were able to recognize the characters in the movie which made it cute. we slipped out of the movie & headed for supper.

Big Al's is one of our favorite places in Ft Myers. we try to go about 2 or 3 times during each trip to the condo! ha! everything on the menu is excellent. one crazy thing did happen. Jovie must have had a little bit too much chocolate milk to drink b/c after she ate, she threw up EVERYWHERE. all over our table, her food, her clothes, the floor. it was disgusting. and everyone in the restaurant realized what was going on. our poor waiter was sweet & helped clean up without a complaint. we tipped him big! ha! i had to take Jovie to the bathroom & strip her down & bathe her in the sink. we quickly paid our bill & got out of there, ha! talk about humbling. it was wild. (sorry if its TMI. ha!)

after dinner, we headed home & took baths. we got the kids in bed a little early so we could get up the next morning & go to the beach!

i'm so thankful for the fun memories we made that day with our kids.

(some of these photos are grainy b/c i had to take them indoors, with my iPhone)

getting his stitches out. yay!

movie time. this theatre is awesome. so clean & fun on the inside.

there was no chance she was going in without that blanket & paci

me & sweet Jovie. i hate that this is so grainy.

Jack was SO excited to see "ynin mateen" (lightning mcqueen) on the big screen!

at Big Al's eating dinner

goofy boy

vacation is such a blessing. we are loving all this family time.

Ft Myers Vacation: Putt Putt

2011-06-29T14:21:00.007-05:00

scroll down for another new vacation post. i'm trying to play catch up!

day 4 we went to Putt Putt. the course is called Congo River & it is probably the nicest mini golf course i've ever seen. Jack & Jovie loved it! they tried to use their little putters to hit the ball in the hole each time. they also really loved looking at all of the stuff on the course. they had so much fun running around & playing. so glad we took them to do that. it was such a fun memory to make with them!

Jack & Jovie LOVED the waterfall. i think they said "water" about 400 times!

playing the first hole

learning to use his putter

even Jovie tried it out. so cute.

he was so proud that he figured it out. he said "yay Jack!"

i think he showed me his red golf ball every other minute. he was thrilled to death to have his own ball to play with on the course.

he would carry the ball right up to the hole & hit it in. forget trying to putt from a distance!

and again, showing me the golf ball. so sweet.

Jovie cared more about carrying her ball around than trying to putt.

he tried to use Ben's putter. i think it was about as tall as he was. so funny.

the water flowed right through the jeep. or "tractor" as Jack called it. he was so fascinated by the car & the water that he tried to walk down to it. almost gave me a heart attack. ha!

sweet babies watching dada putt

giving some love. they are so sweet to each other. (most of the time, ha!)

sweet Jovie girl. she is growing up too fast for me.

the real plane in the middle of the course. it was actually really cool & of course, Jack loved it!

cutest boy.

my attempt at a picture of them together. take 1: cute grin from Jack while Jovie ignores me.

take 2: cute paci grin from Jovie while Jack ignores me.

take 3: both looking at the camera. its a miracle! and a decent picture, i'll take what i can get these days! ha!

we had SO much fun at putt putt. Jack even asked to go back as we pulled out of the parking lot.

we ended up going a 2nd time when Ben's family got to the condo.

and thanks to Congo River, my kids slept like babies that night!

Ft Myers Vacation: Day 3

2011-06-28T11:19:00.006-05:00

today was so fun. we went to the Miromar Outlet Mall in Ft. Myers. this is THE nicest outlet mall i've ever been too. its really pretty with over 100 stores & several restaurants. i can always find a really, really good deal here, especially for my kids. this year they added a Gymboree outlet & everything was under $10. i could have bought the whole store! ha!

we let the kids play on the playground at the mall & then we headed back towards Coconut Pointe for lunch. we were craving pizza and we ended up at Tony Sacco's. its a coal oven pizza place & it was so yummy. after lunch, we headed back to the condo for naps. we cooked out for supper & then we went for a walk, outside, around the condo grounds.

i have NEVER seen more mosquitos in my life. i'm not kidding when i say that we would walk outside, and instantly have 8 mosquitoes on each one of us. even when we were wearing bug spray. our walk only lasted about 8 minutes b/c Jack & Jovie were getting eaten alive. we later found out that the area had not been sprayed yet (via helicopter) for bugs. it was insane. thank goodness they eventually sprayed.

after our short walk, we went back inside, gave the kids baths & got them ready for bed. we ended the night by watching Lost & relaxing before bed.

such a fun 3rd day!

sweet boy waiting for pizza

hilarious hair.

our yummy pizza. we devoured it.

do i have something on my face?!

he ate a TON of pizza!

we went back to the condo after lunch. isn't the entrance beautiful? i love it.

the Sorrento. our condo. love.

i did her hair a little more crazy b/c it was SO hot outside!

cute girlie

i did some dishes while the kids napped. this is my view from the kitchen sink. amazing.

we grilled out hamburgers & corn for supper. so yummy.

we played at the fountain on our walk

our attempt at a good picture of the kids sitting together.

hilarious.

the best we could do! ha!

we took a quick walk down the sidewalk but the mosquitos were SO bad that we had to go inside. boo!

we love vacation!!

Ft Myers Vacation: Day 2

2011-06-27T13:29:00.001-05:00

our 2nd day in FL was much sweeter than the first. we had a lot of fun. we woke up, ate breakfast, let the kids play in the condo, made a Publix run, ate lunch and took Jovie swimming while Jack napped.

for dinner we ate at Skip One, a hole in the wall kind of place that serves fried seafood. it is Ben's very favorite place to eat when we come down here. i'm not into seafood so its not my fave but i do love their crab cakes. they are delish. after dinner we took the kids to get Yogurt Mountain. it was Jack's reward for behaving so well last night during his accident.

after dessert we walked around the INCREDIBLE Coconut Pointe Mall. then we went back to the condo, bathed the kids in the sink (b/c of Jack's eye) and put them to bed. Ben & I relaxed by watching Lost before bed.

it was a great 2nd day!!

sweet boy the day after his stitches. his little wound already looked so much better. and of course we had to take Woody on vacation!

sweet Jovie got to go swimming with Dada for a little while. she is too cute in her swimsuit!

Jovie found Mamie's seashell collection and had a blast playing with them. entertainment for each day. i was amazed she never tried to put them in her mouth! ha!

our dinner spot.

dada and Jack at dinner. my 2 favorite boys.

me and Jovie Claire

i love her sweet profile.

we had to take his shirt off while he ate yogurt b/c he makes such a mess! but he LOVES the chocolate yogurt.

our view while we were eating yogurt. how pretty is this?! this lake is in the middle of the mall.

me and Jovie sharing some yogurt.

love spending so much time with my family!

Ft Myers Vacation: Crazy Day 1

2011-06-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

our vacation to Ft Myers, FL was a blast. but day 1 was insane. it was like something out of National Lampoons. but, i am so thankful that my children did SO awesome with all the traveling that day. seriously, i couldn't have paid them to act any better. it was just the schedule & unfortunate trip to the ER that made the day so insane.

our day 1 in a nutshell:

-wake up at 5 am. get kids dressed & ready to go. check our flight status, plane delayed over an hour. kids could have slept an hour longer.

- great first flight. kids did awesome on the plane.

- miss our connection in ATL. kids must nap in the airport on the floor. it worked for about 15 minutes.

- great 2nd flight. kids were champs on the plane.

-make it to Ft Myers & get a taxi. end up with craziest driver ever. what should have only taken 15 minutes to get to the condo, turned into an hour long ride. this guy had NO clue where he was going. but, we got our ride for free. definite blessing.

-unload luggage in the condo. making a grocery list so we can head to Publix. its about 6:45 pm & the kids have not had dinner. Jack crashes into the glass top dining room table & gets a deep cut in the corner of his left eye

-frantically call around to find a hospital. kids screaming. they are in tshirts & diapers. throw them in the car & drive like mad to find some help for Jack

-find an Urgent Care Center, 1 mile from our condo. we pull up 10 minutes before they close. Jack gets examined & the DR tells us he can't do the stitches there b/c Jack needs to be restrained & he has no way to do that. he refers us to the hospital, 15 minutes away. talk about a MAD daddy, Ben was so furious they wouldn't help us.

-find Naples Hospital. walk right into the ER & are immediately taken back to get stitches. Praise the Lord!!! Ben took Jovie to get some dinner b/c she was so hungry. i stayed with Jack.

-sweet pediatrician examines Jack & explains the process of stitches. they restrain Jack, lay him back, give him a shot of Lidocaine & then do the stitches. i have NEVER heard my son scream so loud or seen him get so upset. i tried so hard to be strong, but tears fell from my face as they helped him. it was awful. i would have given my right leg to switch places with him.

-stitches done. calm boy. i get our instructions for taking care of his eye, grab the medicine, thank the staff & leave the ER. Ben picked us up & we headed back to the condo.

-its now 9 pm & our kids are officially exhausted. we fix up their beds (both sleeping in our room) and lay them down. they conked right out.

-we scarf down some Wendy's & thank the Lord that Jack's injury wasn't any worse. we relaxed on the couch & then went to bed.

all in all, i am thankful for how the Lord protected us that day. thankful that we ended up in an ER with supportive, sweet staff. thankful that my children handled the day SO well. and thankful just to finally be in FL. but it was definitely a wild day. we were most thankful that it was over! ha!

-did i mention that part of the instructions for Jack's eye was that it could have NO contact with water. that's right. no swimming. the main activity that we had planned for our week. one of Jack's favorite things to do. but we had to refrain for 3-5 days until he got his stitches out. but, we made do. bathing him was tricky. but we managed to find things to do that did not involve water those first several days.

our first day, in pictures:

sweet babies waiting to board the plane. i am SO glad we traveled with the umbrella strollers this trip. so much easier to maneuver through the airports & fold down at the gates!

it may not be easy to tell but we reclined their strollers back on my legs so they could sleep. it actually worked well for awhile!

then i got out the diaper changing pad & laid it on the ground. Jovie did great on it for awhile too. you gotta do what you gotta do! ha!

our hospital bracelet.

all stitched up & ready to go. sweet boy was pretty clingy to me after that. can't blame him.

even with stitches, he is the cutest little boy i know. love him.

a close up of his boo boo. we were really surprised how quickly & how well it healed up. he will probably have a scar there by no big deal. so thankful it wasn't any worse.

crazy first day. best vacation ever. more to come.

Jovie @ 17 Months!

2011-06-25T10:25:00.002-05:00

sweet Jovie Claire,

fun, fun, fun. that is absolutely the best word to describe you at this age.

dada & I always talk about how we are just having so much fun with you right now. you are such a happy toddler. you are easy to care for & easy to love!

at 17 months you weigh 22 lbs 13 oz. we just moved you into a size 5 diaper so that we can just buy one size for both you & brother. you are in a size 5 shoe. and your clothes are 18 months. or 12-18 months. we can really tell that you are getting taller & your face seems to be changing just a little bit. you have SO much hair! its a beautiful light brown color & it is everywhere. i constantly try to keep a bow, clippy or hair band in your hair b/c your hair is ALWAYS in your eyes & your dad refuses to let me cut your hair, ha!

you are still a really great eater, but we have found a couple foods that you just aren't interested in eating. you do not like: strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, honey dew or deli meat. other than that, you will eat anything. you still love all veggies & your fave fruits are oranges, apples & bananas. i really can't complain about your eating habits!!

your speech (or attempted speech!) has really taken off this month. you can say: mama, dada, water, shoe, uh oh, oh no, hot dog, dog, hat, elevator (this is hilarious), bar (for cereal bar), nana (for banana) & bath. you say a lot of jibber jabber these days, you giggle all the time & you grunt loudly when you are angry or want something.

you are very much a momma's girl. we have really noticed it even more this month. you have always preferred me to everyone but lately, you just will not leave my side. you follow me from room to room. you won't even walk to the car with dada unless i'm walking beside you, holding your hand. pretty sure its just a phase but i'm enjoying all the time & snuggles with you. as i type this, you are sitting in my lap with your paci & blanket, holding on to my arm. you are just the sweetest.

you have begun to notice pictures of people around our home & you try so hard to name everyone in the photo. your favorite is to look at dada's picture & squeal as you say his name. too cute. speaking of dada, you love him. when he gets home, you are so excited. he gives you tons of attention & you love for him to tickle you. i love the sweet little bond the two of you share! and your favorite playmate is definitely Jack. you play so well together. but there are definitely days of fussing & fighting. all together, i am SO thankful that the two of you are so close in age. it has worked like a charm. its just such a blessing to watch you with brother.

you are very attached to your blanket & paci. you have to have them both to go to sleep & you carry blanket all over our house. they pretty much both go with you everywhere. and at this point, i am more than okay with it. your favorite toys are the Woody doll & your push toys. you love your baby doll stroller & shopping cart. you are very good about being able to play with anything & you entertain yourself very well.

you are an excellent sleeper. you are down to one long nap per day. it usually last about 2.5 to 3 hours each day. and you sleep about 11-12 hours at night. you go down without a fight & you even ask to go to bed sometimes. you walk to your bed with your blanket & paci & point to the bed. we know you are ready! you always fall asleep in the car!

we've had such a fun summer with you so far. we are on vacation right now in Ft Myers, FL. we have been to the splash park back home & swimming at Mamie's house several times. you LOVE the water. and you have no fear, which scares me a little bit! ha!

sweet baby, you are just such a blessing. i absolutely love having a little girl. i am praying for you each day. praying you know Jesus at an early age, that you are a girl of purity and that you serve Him every day of your life. being your mother is my greatest joy.

happy 17 months, baby doll. i love you so very much.

Father's Day

2011-06-22T13:35:00.001-05:00

my oh my. i could literally write for pages & pages about how Ben is such a wonderful father. i'm not kidding. i have never been more proud of him than when i watch him love our kids. it is unbelievable. he has always been a sweet husband but now that we have kids, our marriage is deeper, stronger & more fun. i love him so much more b/c i see what a precious dad he is to Jack & Jovie. they are so blessed to have him.

i think one of my favorite qualities about Ben is his patience. he is WAY more patient than me in every area. its embarrassing. he is so long suffering with our kids. rarely, rarely does he get frustrated with them. he is always willing to play the same game, answer the same questions & chase them for hours. he never turns them away when they want his attention & he NEVER complains about anything. ever. its crazy convicting.

i love the relationship he has with each child. he wrestles with Jack, plays cars & trucks, carries on conversations him, includes him in whatever he is doing, prays with him, spends time with just him, tickles him constantly & encourages him always. and he is so tender with Jovie. he's always complimenting her, kissing & hugging her, chasing her, snuggling with her, playing baby dolls, praying with her, singing to her, including her & protecting her. she is daddy's girl.

i am so thankful for how Ben loves Jesus. i see him spending time in prayer & in the Word every day. he is such a prayer warrior for our kids. he makes plans for their future & provides for their every need. he is so faithful to me & treats me so well. he loves me so much & my kids see that all the time.

this Father's Day i am so thankful for my husband. praying that my kids always understand how much Ben loves them & that they always know how blessed they are to have such a loving, godly father.

Happy Father's Day Babe!! you are a blessing to our family & we love you SO much!!!

Revision: our first baptisms

2011-06-20T14:01:00.002-05:00

my sister, Katie, already blogged about this event. and she did a great job. but since this is my blog, i wanted to document it for myself.

on saturday, June 18, our church had its first baptism service. 3 of our members were baptized. we had a big cookout at Amelia's house (awesome, awesome house!) and then the 3 guys: Jordan, Austin & Mr Joe, were baptized. it was such a sweet blessing to witness 3 people publicly declare their love for Christ & commit to follow him all their days.

i love the picture of baptism. it identifies the believer with Christ in his death, burial & resurrection. we must die to our flesh, through our faith in Jesus & his death on the cross & we are given new life in Christ.

i love the definition that Mars Hill gives of baptism. in fact, i love it so much that i'm just going to copy it from their website. (www.westseattle.marshillchurch.org)

Q: WHAT IS BAPTISM?

A: Baptism is the Christian act of immersing a believer under water and then bringing him forth out of the water. It is a practical representation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the person being baptized is plunged beneath the waters and brought forth in the same way that Jesus was buried in the earth and resurrected on their behalf in forgiveness of their sins (Rom 6:1-10; Col 2:12). Baptism identified a Christian with Jesus (Acts 10:48; Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27), the universal church (1 Cor 12:13), and the local church (Acts 2:41).

Q: WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE BAPTIZED?

A: Jesus commanded that all Christians be baptized (Mt 28:19). His apostles also commanded that all Christians be baptized (Acts 2:38). Therefore, Christians should be baptized because their God and His servants command it.

Q: WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?

A: First, John the Baptizer required that people repent of sin before they could be baptized (Mt 3:2, 6; Mk 1:4; Lk 3:3). Therefore, only Christians who have repented of sin should be baptized.

Second, every baptism in the New Testament is preceded by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus (Acts 2:38-41; 2:41;8:12; 9:18-19; 10:44-48; 16:14-15, 40; 16:29-36; 18:8; 19:1-7; 22:16). Therefore, only Christians who have repented of sin and have trusted in Jesus should be baptized.

Third, baptism is reserved solely for people who have put on Christ (Gal 3:27). Therefore, only those who are Christians should be baptized.

In summary, repentance of sin and faith in Jesus are the marks of a Christian. And all Christians are commanded to be baptized in order to identify themselves with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Subsequently, no one but a Christian should be baptized, and this excludes all non-Christians and children who are too young to demonstrate repentance and articulate faith.

they said it so much better than i could! baptism does NOT save you. only your complete trust in Jesus, repentance of sin & handing over of your life to Christ will save you. baptism is a work, not a faith or saving act. that should always be made clear. nothing can save you but the blood of Jesus!!!

we had such a fun night grilling hamburgers, talking, swimming, eating & baptizing 3 believers. God is so good. and the work that he has begun at Revision is just a blessing. we are all so thankful for this body of Christ. praying we are able to have another baptism service soon!!!

i stole a few (ok, all) pictures from Katie's blog & facebook. she takes MUCH better pictures than i do! thanks to Katie & Evan for being our photogs for the night!!!

so thankful to be part of this body. praise the Lord for what he is doing in our church!!

Special Memories for June

2011-06-13T11:57:00.001-05:00

June is a sweet month. filled with lots of fun memories from days gone by. its so fun to reminisce & praise the Lord for each sweet day & what it still means to me. i just wanted to write them down so that i never ever forget what June means to me!

June 10, 2001

ben & i began dating. it was a sunday afternoon. i will never forget that day. i went over to his house with a few friends to watch the FedEx St Jude golf tournament. we walked the course, sat out under the trees, watched tv & ate lunch. while we were sitting on the couch, watching the tournament, ben reached over & held my hand. we have been together ever since. i can not believe that we have been together 10 years now! so crazy! it has been the most wonderful & most fun time of my life.

June 8, 2006

ben proposed. it was a thursday morning. we were camp counselors at youth camp. ben called me at 7 am to ask me a question & to tell me to meet him down on the beach, just outside our condo. he proposed on the beach. i was so excited i couldn't even say yes at first! he had to ask me a 2nd time! ha! he gave me the most beautiful ring, we called our family & shared our news with all the kids at camp. it was such a fun day!

June 30, 2008

i was 20 weeks pregnant with our first baby. we went to the doctor for our ultrasound. i was a nervous, excited mess. i just wanted to hear that our sweet baby was healthy & growing normally. we were so thankful to hear that baby was healthy & growing right on schedule. we were so excited to find out that we were expecting a sweet baby boy. i had always wanted to have a boy first & we both guessed he would be a boy. we were elated to know that we were right & that the Lord had blessed us with a son. it was such a special day. i'll never forget those thoughts & emotions i experienced that afternoon. i'll never forget it!

June 12, 2009

Jack was 7 months old. i had a doctor's appointment for my 6 month post-op checkup. Ben kept Jack at his parents house. (it was also the week of the golf tournament) i went in for my appointment alone. i sat in the patient room for about 20 minutes before my doctor came in the room. ben even called me to ask what was taking so long. when Dr Williams came in the room, i could see 3 small tests sitting on top of my file. she said "well, you're pregnant!" i said "um, what?!" she said "yep, that is why it took me so long to get in here, we wanted to run 3 tests just to be sure!" i began to cry. not because i didn't want this baby but because i was so shocked & overwhelmed. when i told Ben, he was so excited and happy. it was definitely a day that i struggled, wondering if the Lord knew what he was doing. but when i went to bed that night, i praised Him. because i knew he had a plan. and i knew that this sweet baby was such a blessing. i was excited to be pregnant & excited for Jack to have a sibling. it was such an overwhelming day. but now that i look back on it, i smile. because now we have precious Jovie. i am so thankful for my surprise baby. and so thankful for that hot June day that i found out about her. so thankful that i serve a God who is sovereign & is always working things together for my good & his glory.

i love June. love all the sweet memories that fill the month. love that the Lord orchestrated all these events, in his timing. love that they have each been life changing days for me. excited that i can look back on these days & be thankful. the Lord is so good. and i am so blessed.

Happy June!!

Pruning

2011-06-04T14:29:00.003-05:00

pruning:

to cut away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.

i am in such a learning, teaching, repentant time of life. the Lord is so good. and so faithful to show me myself in light of his holiness. i attribute it back to our church plant, Revision Church. ever since January, when our church launched, the Lord has been speaking to me in such a real & precious way. He has just taught me so much about community, friendship, love for my brother in Christ, loving & serving my husband, being content in my role of motherhood, discipleship, and how the church (whole body of Christ) is meant to truly operate. its just unreal how much i have learned. not to my credit, of course, but all for his glory.

i have read 3 really great books in the past month. i can't wait to blog about each of them and all of the things the Lord taught me about my attitude, my heart & my motives. ouch. he has been pruning me. its really the best word i can think of to describe his work in my life. he is peeling back the layers of me that are overgrown & dead to make me look more like Jesus & to help me be more effective, faithful, content & wise in my growth.

i love our church. i love the people. i love the high level of accountability. i love the discipleship. i love the music. i love the preaching. i love the community groups. i love my community group. but i love how i see Christ at work, the most. i love that Jesus is our mission & the center of why we exist corporately & individually. i never want the great aspects of Revision to outshine Christ. praying he is always exalted above all else.

lately, the Lord has been using our specific community group to teach me so much. i can not say enough about how much i love these people. we have bonded so quickly. we have so much fun. we have great, healthy biblical discussions about the weekly sermon & all the Lord is teaching us in the day to day of life. we keep up with each other through the week & we challenge each other in the Word. instead of looking at church as something i must attend once or twice per week, i now praise the Lord that i get to be involved at Revision. i look forward to Sundays. i cherish each service & community group meeting b/c i know these are sweet days in the life of our church. once you get a taste of true, biblical community you never want to go back. it is truly life changing. and so needed for every christian. i honestly can't say enough about the importance of community. but, i've already blogged about that here.

there are some very specific areas that the Lord has been pruning in my heart. He has used his word, a close friend, my husband, a church planting conference and those 3 books to convict me. it hasn't been the most pleasant "look in the mirror" but it has been beneficial. i am so thankful that he has keeps drawing me, keeps calling me to repentance, keeps changing my heart, keeps strengthening my convictions & keeps forgiving me. one major thing that is stuck in my heart & mind on a daily basis is this:

in every area of my life, i am blessed. in every area i have reason to give thanks. so, i have no reason to ever:

Complain

Compare

Control

i can not complain about 1 single thing. complaining does NOT come from a heart of contentment. i am to be thankful for my husband, his job, our kids & their personalities, my responsibilities of raising my kids, the home i live in, the location of my home, the clothes i own, the budget we live on, the amount of date nights we are able to have, our church, our friends & our families. even when i am frustrated about things, NO complaining. b/c things could always be worse, always be harder, always be more stressful. i do not want anyone to be able to say i am a complaining, contentious woman. i want to be seen as content & joyful in any situation.

i can not compare. this one is more difficult for me internally. comparing does not come from a heart of contentment. i can not compare:

my marriage vs another marriage

my children vs other children

the way we raise our kids & our convictions in this area vs the way someone else raises theirs

our home vs anyone else's

our budget vs another family's income

our church size vs another church plant or existing church

our material possessions vs what someone else has

my body (skin, hair, weight, figure) vs another woman's body

my spiritual gifts & the areas the Lord has both gifted me & in ways i struggle vs anyone else

my position as a pastor's wife vs another woman in our church & her position

my friendships vs other girls & their close friends

i could go on & on with this, but you get the picture. i just can't compare. and that can be very difficult. i have reason to praise God b/c he has given me this body, my specific hubby & kids, our vocation, our church, our families, friends & home. this can be a daily struggle. and i have to be careful that i do not look at others & long for what they have but that i also do not look at others & be "thankful" that at least i'm not that bad. make sense?! no comparing. its just a waste of time.

i can not control. this is also internal, for me. my biggest battle in this area is with the Lord. i struggle with questioning his way over mine. i try to do something my way when i know His way is best. i will fill my prayers with what i want & how i want it instead of just praising him for who He is & what He has done in my heart & life. if i feel like something is taking too long or i'm frustrated b/c i feel as if things could be better, it's really just my flesh trying to control a situation. so sinful. i have learned, through the years, that i can deeply trust Jesus. He is sufficient. and because of this, i can trust him with my life. i can also trust Ben. he has NEVER given me reason to believe that he doesn't want God's best for our family. following him is just easy. and so fun! but there are days that i have to admit, i will try to manipulate him in the small things. like, how or why we are choosing to do something. instead of just trusting him. controlling does NOT come from a heart of contentment. its just prideful.

i am a pastor's wife. that does not mean that i am elevated to a level of holiness above anyone else, but it does mean that i may have a higher level of accountability than some. people are watching me. watching how i talk to Ben, how i handle my children, how i dress, how timely i am, how much i serve or volunteer, and even how i blog, tweet or facebook. sometimes, if i allow myself to dwell on that, it can become overwhelming. very overwhelming. i feel as if i will never live up to a certain standard. que the pruning. man is not my standard. Christ alone is my measure for holiness. i aim to please & glorify him. if i keep my eyes on Jesus, then the rest of those things will fall into place. and ultimately, i am so thankful that i am being watched. not because i want all eyes on me, i do not! but because it keeps me humble. keeps me in a constant state of prayer & challenges me to love Jesus more. to serve Ben without a complaint, to love my kids sacrificially, to give of my time for other girls & to happily be part of Revision Church.

walking with Jesus was never intended to be easy. pruning is not fun. or pleasant. but it is so needed because it makes us more like Jesus. and that is the end goal. i want to look as little like Audrey as possible. i want to look fully like Jesus. my heart craves a spirit filled life.

i am so thankful for accountability. i have 2 close friends that have committed to holding me accountable in some big ways. i love these girls. i need them & they need me. we have a sweet, fun relationship. and i trust them implicitly. but i also have 2 precious sisters that are so faithful to show me nothing but love. i feel accountable to them b/c i know they look to me in some ways. and i love that we have such a healthy close relationship. i have the other staff wives at our church. couldn't be more thankful for them & the relationship we all have. they are amazing, godly women. and i have a couple girls in our church that i meet with on a weekly basis. pouring your life into someone else demands accountability. i can not teach them or speak truth to them if i am not living it myself. and then there is my greatest accountability partner, my husband. he amazes me. his love for Jesus is so real. just living with him is convicting & holds me to such a level of accountability. the Lord uses him every single day to teach me something. and my sweet kids. i am accountable for how they are raised. that is huge to me.

whew. this is way longer than i intended it to be. i just wanted to sit down & type out all that i am learning in this blessed season of life. i could probably keep going, but no need.

thankful for Jesus & his pruning. so very thankful. may he be glorified even on my worst day.

May in Pictures

2011-05-31T21:58:00.006-05:00

scroll down for another new post

we've had such a fun month! we celebrated mother's day, had a few play dates & several sweet days at home. as the month came to a close, we got busier & busier. Ben & I got to go to a Grizzles playoff game, Lindsay & I got to go to the Michael Buble concert at FedEx forum. we spent several mornings at the park, i spent some free time reading 3 fantastic books, we had a fun play date with Annabelle & Adelyn (our sweet friends that used to live here but moved away). its always so good to see them!!!

some pics from our busy month:

we've had such a fun spring & we are really looking forward to all the sweet summertime memories!!!

Jovie @ 16 Months!!

2011-05-27T10:16:00.002-05:00

sweet sassy, you are 16 months old!! everyday you are sweeter, funnier, sassier, cuter & smarter than the day before. i just can't get enough of you!

at 16 months you weigh 22.2 lbs. you are in a size 12-18 month, in most things. a size 4-5 shoe & a size 4 diaper. i love your chunky legs, feet & cheeks. you have a FULL head of hair & i love it! i've even been contemplating your first real hair cut. thank goodness for hair bows that keep your hair out of your eyes & face. my favorite part about you is your dark green eyes. i actually prayed for a little girl with green eyes! i feel like its the only part of you that really, really looks like me and i'm thankful for that!!

you have such a fun personality these days. you have completely entered the toddler stage. you are stubborn, very independent, curious, into everything, trying to throw fits, having a hard time learning to share, sometimes impatient & oh so busy. but i must say, i have no complaints concerning these things. you are still so sweet, very loving & affectionate. one of my most fervent prayers for you & Jack is that you will both be tender hearted & respond well to discipline. i truly believe that slowly but surely the Lord is answering these prayers. i have seen a change in both of you in the past few. you are listening better, obeying faster & requiring a lot less spankings! i realize it may get difficult again, but i'm ok with that. the Lord is teaching me SO much in these phases.

you are a great eater. no, a fantastic eater! your favorite foods are: green beans, bananas, yogurt, peas, carrots, hot dogs & apples. you don't like strawberries or grapes. but you will literally eat everything else, ha!

one major difference between you & Jack is your lack of fear. while he is more reserved & hesitant, you are adventurous & aggressive. you usually don't mind trying new things. sometimes, your wild streak scares me to death! ha! you have walked right off our bed, climbed up on tables & walked right off the pool ledge (thank goodness we were already in the water!) you definitely keep us on our toes!

sweet girl, you are such a joy to our lives. every single day with you is so much fun. you love your brother so much. he can evoke the biggest giggles & grins from you. and your dada gets your most slobbery kisses & biggest bear hugs. but i must say, you are still a mommy's girl through & through. you prefer me over everyone in the room & i love it. i pray that we always have a close, sweet relationship. i'm asking the Lord to make you a young woman of contentment & purity. i pray you always have a deep love for His word, His people & His ministry. you are such a blessing to my heart!

happy 16 months precious baby. i love you with all my heart!

Jalapeno Popper Burgers

2011-05-25T14:26:00.001-05:00

this recipe is an ode to cream cheese. i could eat it on/with everything. it is that good. when i saw Rachael Ray make this on her show, i knew i had to try it. my husband loves anything spicy & i love anything cream cheese so this was perfect for us. i did tweak her recipe a tiny bit, to meet our tastes/preferences. but, i've made it 3 times now & it has turned out great every time!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 jalapeno pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

slices of cheddar cheese

8 oz block cream cheese, softened

fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 tbsp grated yellow onion

garlic powder/garlic salt

divide the ground beef into 4 equal size burgers

place skillet over med/high heat

drizzle EVOO in the skillet

begin cooking burgers

as burgers are cooking, begin working on the cream cheese mixture.

combine softened cream cheese with onion, garlic salt, pepper, cumin & cilantro

mix well & set aside

believe me, this is yummy just by itself!

slice jalapenos. very carefully.

to reduce the heat of the pepper, remove the seeds.

the more the seeds, the hotter the pepper!

i usually leave a couple seeds on mine b/c i like it with a kick!

toss the jalapeno slices in with burgers.

allow them to char or blacken the edges a bit

this just gives it a yummier taste!

the last couple minutes of the burgers cooking, top each one with a hearty spoonful of the cream cheese mixture. just enough to cover the tops.

then place a 1/2 slice of cheddar cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture.

top the cheddar cheese with a couple slices of jalapenos.

allow it to sit just long enough for the cheeses to begin to melt!

how yumm do these look?!

(these are my first batch, i actually made sliders. but i prefer them as regular sized burgers)

place the burgers on buns & voila, yummy cream cheese spicy burger goodness!!

can't wait to make these again! they are so good!!