4 of a kind

My sweet babies are all growing up so fast!!! 

Elijah, Kyley, Krissy, Emily

Missing from this photo is obviously Asher :)

Puzzles & Braids

Kyley wanted me to take a picture of her finished puzzle and put it on my blog. She was so proud that she finished it all by herself (it wasn't a hard puzzle and she's done bigger ones on her own, but for some reason this one made her happy to finish)
Yesterday , I french braided her hair for the first time.  I've tried in the past but he hair was either too short or too thin at the time, we never had any success. It's not perfect but it's a start!


Any tips you can give me on french braiding and cute hairstyles now that her hair is getting longer? 

Babies

This weekend, we welcomed a sweet little girl into our quickly growing family of friends. 

Welcome to the world Juliet Arianna. You are so loved by so many already.

June 12, 2011   

   

Congratulations to Will and Angie Rus. We are so excited for you guys and can't wait to love on her more and more and watch her grow. We love yall!

Kyley's new Bible!

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

My sweet little girl, who's learning to read (slowly but surely!) was in desperate need of a new Bible, because the binding was coming off of her old one. That kid can wear out a Bible, and I'm not sure how, but at least she's learning to carry it with her to church and is starting to look things up and try to read them and learn the books in order. 

So far she's learned all the way to Ecclesiastes! I'm so proud! (and her little brother is giving her a run for her money because at 3 yrs old he can already say the first five books in order and almost pronounce them correctly!)

So anyways, we looked all over  for the perfect Bible for her, and she kept coming back to this one, it was her absolute favorite, so we finally ordered it (yay amazon!)

So here are a few pictures of the day she got it, she was so excited to get her own mail!

 

Re-designing

So I'm in desperate need of some re-designing around these parts, seeing as how the pictures in my header are over a year old (and not great to boot).

So any suggestions on color schemes/headers? What would YOU like to see on my header? I'm working on some things, but I wanted some outside ideas as well, so hit me up!

2 months old!

Ok so I'm 2 days late, but hey at least I remembered :) 

Stats: 

Weight 10 lb 13 oz (25%)

Height 23 1/2 in (75%)

Head Circumf. 15 3/4 (50%)

Just this week Asher has been rolling over a ton!

He holds his head up really well when on his tummy and loves to "talk" and smile at us.

He's still wearing 0-3 month clothes (thankfully, that means we've gotten good use out of them!) and a size 1 diaper.

He sleeps well and loves to eat but what infant doesn't?

I just can't believe how quickly time is flying!

Who's the star?

 I found this bib last night at target. I found it VERY fitting and decided Asher had to have it. Yeah yeah, I know, it's just a bib, but I thought it was hilarious.




   

Lead me Lord, I'll follow

oh how I just love sweet baby feet

My Famous Chef

What do this...


this...


and this...

(crushed cornflakes btw)

have in common?



This sweet girl made up her very own recipe and specifics for what she wanted with it.

 Dip chicken tenders in Zesty Italian Dressing
Then roll in crushed corn flakes and put on your baking sheet.
Bake 20 min at 400 degrees (more or less depending on your chicken, this is what worked for us) or until golden brown and done
Serve with crinkle fries and greenbeans w/ potatoes

Thing's I've learned today: Second Edition

Asher can roll over from his tummy to his back, repeatedly.

And he gets mad when he gets to his back and can't flip back.

He also loves the swing. Why didn't I bring that inside sooner?

Elijah does not like peeps. At all. Ok, he likes to smoosh them but not to eat.

Kyley apparently has decided she has an aversion to wheat bread. Just today. Never had a problem before.

Asher likes to talk. He is always cooing and trying to tell me or Kyley something (depending on who's playing with him at the time)

Elijah doesn't like for Asher to sleep, AT ALL. (oh wait, I have known this a while)

While I'm learning things, does anyone know why Kate is called a Duchess and not Princess?  Kyley and I are going to look that up in a few. Maybe I'll earn some swagbucks while I'm at it!

(if you haven't joined swagbucks you should, I've gotten over 40 dollars worth of amazon.com giftcards. you can sign up by clicking HERE, it's totally free! no strings attached!)

Things I learned today...

Asher sweats. Like a pig.

I love Publix.

Kyley likes ice cream before bed.

She also likes punch bugs.

And she won't let you forget about it.

Elijah thinks if we go to bed he can do what he wants (he told Kyley to go to sleep so he could play the xbox)

Boys have hard heads

Kyley is interested in presidents and queens.

Apparently a Queen Elizabeth costume is in our future.

Today was Theory of Relativity Day (who knew?)

I love getting to know new friends.

My life is still chaotic and I'm still overwhelmed.

But there are good moments :)

7 weeks!

I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by! Little man is 7 weeks old today!  Yesterday he weighed in at 10 lbs 3 oz at the WIC office, after being down to at least 8lb 4oz at one point early on. So he's gained a full 2 lbs pretty much since he started gaining! WOOT!

my Easter babies

   

Admitting it is hard for me.

I've almost deleted that last post countless amounts of time. Why? Because I hate being vulnerable. I hate others knowing my weaknesses. I hate sharing that side of my life. But it's real. It's me.  I don't know why I have a desire to hide those parts of my life. I guess I've been burned before when laying my heart out there so I don't want to chance it again? Or is it because showing that side of me means I'm weak?


And just so I don't forget this one day... Today, the workers who have been painting the outside of the house, broke the AC again. When I went outside to fix it, I left asher asleep in my room, and the other two having a snack in the living room. When I returned a few moments later. I found Elijah trying to shove an entire oatmeal creme pie into Asher's mouth.  Such love, he has for his brother, that he wanted to share his snack. LOL

overwhelmed.

Pardon me for baring my soul, but I don't want this blog to be only pictures and high points. I want to remember it all, the good, the great, the bad and the ugly.

Tonight, I'm overwhelmed.

My livingroom looks like my washing machine/dryer threw up. Literally. They are doing work on the outside of my house causing me to need to be home but not able to let the kids outside to run off energy. They were WILD today. I have a newborn. Who likes to nurse. And snuggle. I have a 3 yr old. Who misses being the baby. I have a 6 yr old. Who also just wants mommy's attention.  And dishes. And laundry. And bathrooms. And toys. And dinner. And lunch. And snacks. And obligations. And family.

I'm not going to lie. Today was hard. I've cried. I've wanted to scream though I've held myself together. I've cried some more. I've thought about all the things I'd like to say in anger (thankfully I held them all in because they were pointless, just me getting out my frustration). I'm exhausted. They've shown up at my house all week by 7:30, beating and pounding on the outside framework replacing boards and painting. The kids are getting up early but still not wanting to go to bed, and I end up staying up to get work done at night because I can't get anything done during the day. I'm sure that this doesn't help my frustration. In fact I know it doesn't. I get grumpy when I get tired. It's just me. 

In the end, I know tomorrow is a new day. Please Lord just let it be better than today.

One month stats!

Asher had another pedi appt this morning and I wanted to record his stats :) 

Weight 8lb 15oz (he was down to 8lb 4oz) (25%)

Height 22 in. (75%)

Head circumf. 15 (50%)

28 days later

28 days ago I gave birth.

28 days ago I found out how amazing my body really is.

28 days ago we learned that 'Kinsley' was really 'Asher' (and we are so in love)

28 days ago Elijah became a big brother for the first time.

28 days ago Kyley became a big sister again.

28 days ago I was at home surrounded by my sweet family and friends.

28 days ag our lives changed forever

look what I caught today :)

the view from here

is so so sweet!

3 years...

My first little man turned 3 on Sunday.



As a mother it's hard, (hello captain obvious!) yet so rewarding watching your children grow up.
I'm reminded so much of how short life is, and how precious it is.

(pardon the heaviness here, but it's my heart)

For the past three years, I've followed two amazing women (their blogs).  They probably have no idea who I am, yet they have touched my life in a  way I cannot describe.   Angie  and  Raechel have something in common with me, yet their stories are so much different.  I've been reading their blogs since their little girls (Audrey and Evie, respectively) were born into this world pretty much, about the same time my little Elijah was born. I remember how I felt the day Elijah was born. I should've been elated, and happy and excited, and I was to some extent, but deeper within I was bitter, withdrawn and cold. Not only that, I was mad. I was mad at God, at my circumstances, my life in general. If you know my story, you probably know why. If you don't know my story, perhaps some day I'll share it in it's fullness here, but that is not for now. Long story short, I was mad at God, because I was blind. I couldn't see my baby when he was born. I was devastated, hurt, and downright angry. Was it justified? Maybe. But life is so much more than that. These beautiful ladies showed me what grace looks like in hard times.  I felt like nothing was going my way, like the world was stacked against me, and here these beautiful women were, giving birth to their sweet girls, only to say goodbye until eternity. Ouch. How's that for a dose of reality to a new mother who is sulking in her own emotions. So, every year I celebrate Elijah's life, with a heavy heart for these sweet women, yet rejoicing for the grace God taught me through them.

I'm so proud of who Elijah is becoming. He has a passion to love. And he has a passion for Jesus. I love to listen to him pray, and sing songs he's learned at church, or even ask to say the books of the Bible (they are learning them in children's church so we say them and let him repeat and he's remembering!) Just this week Derek and I were talking about a few things we love about this age. I personally love the way he'll jump out of the doorway into whatever room you're in and yell "kerprise mommy!" (surprise) Derek shared with me how much he loves that Elijah doesn't just jump, he jumps and exclaims "bounce, bounce" anytime he's doing so. He is so full of fun and energy, and yet so sweet and gentle when he needs to be and I adore that. He is in love with his big sister, and with his baby brother and I couldn't ask for a sweeter 3 year old to call my own. 

wide eyed

Asher has been so much fun. He is a great sleeper, a great nurser (even though i hurt a bit still!) and he has long periods of awake time that he just hangs out and it's so much fun! We are loving having a newborn around again!

coolest mom award

this would be Kyley's dinner tonight (ok and Elijah's but his isn't pictured here)

chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup.  I've never seen a kid so happy to eat dinner haha  (we had eggs and hashbrowns too so it wasn't all "sweet")

introducing...

These aren't the best pictures, but there is now also an album on facebook with other pics as well.

Asher John Jordan was born yesterday morning (3-17) on St. Patrick's day at 245 am. He weighs 9 lbs and is 21 inches long. his head is 14 3/4 diameter (yikes!)   I'll post the full story later, but wanted to at least give you guys a few details


  

Snaggle Tooth

So, guess who lost their first tooth yesterday?



She was so stoked that we had a HARD time going to bed last night. She just didn't want to settle down and sleep because she was so excited and giddy.  She can't stop smiling!

I snapped these right afterward last night of the two kids as well.

  

yeah... so.... it's me....

Boy oh boy have I been bad at this blogging thing lately. 2 whole months went by without even a single post. 2 months to the day. HORRIBLE. Go ahead and throw your stones.

Truth is, I've just gotten busy and when I'm not busy I'm so tired I don't want to blog. *sigh*  throw some more... I know.

So, who wants updates all around? :)

Elijah is about to be THREE! a month from today my sweet boy turns THREE! I can't believe it. We're still slowly working on the potty training. He's getting there, but still not ready to be full time in undies, though we try to do such at home. He is such a funny boy and stubborn at that. Some of my favorite phrases from him right now are if he wants something and I say no, he will reply "but yes it'll be fun!" or "it'll be awesome, mommy". Another favorite would be... "what's that noise?" Who knew my two year old could use the word noise CORRECTLY at any given time?  I was sure surprised!  He's also a little daredevil and will jump off of, and climb on anything.

Kyley, my sweet six yr old is sillier than ever. She loves and I mean LOVES to make her bubba giggle and laugh. They play for hours together, and it's so much fun to watch them make up funny games together. I'm so grateful that they are far enough apart that I didn't go crazy, but close enough in age they can play well together and be good friends. I'm having so much fun watching them grow up together.   Kyley is THRILLED that a new baby will be joining our family soon (more on that later) and she cannot wait to be a big sister again and be a little "mommy" to her. She loves to kiss my belly and feel her move.  She is now on the church puppet team and is loving it!  We are working hard at learning to read (more on school as well) and she is almost finished with her 3rd year of dance! I cannot WAIT to take pictures of her in her sweet little costume this year. It is absolutely PERFECT for her!

As far as homeschooling goes, we are trucking on. This year has been an adjustment period to say the least. We've had some definite up times and some not so great times, but we're learning, and that's what matters most. I am currently researching and trying to decide where to go with curriculum for the first grade, but at the same time, still trying to figure out her style and what stimulates her most. Overall though, it's been a great year. We are still working hard on the learning to read part, but she is excelling beyond my expectations in math, so I believe she'll be a lot like her daddy in that area.

And the update I'm sure you're all dying to hear... no baby yet.

I'm due in 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel it.  I've overall had a great pregnancy, not too many complaints.  The last few days though, I've finally caught up with myself and I'm TIRED. If my house didn't need to be cleaned and things didn't need to be done, I'd lay around and watch tv with the kids all day. Alas, that is not the case. There is laundry to be folded, and dishes to be cleaned, and school work to be done. All in the name of being a mommy huh? :) I wouldn't trade it for the world.
We are super excited to meet our sweet little one, and cannot WAIT to see what God has in store for our family in the next few weeks. As for now, I'm enjoying every little kick, roll, and punch knowing this could be our last (though we're not sure on that) and trying to ignore the end of pregnancy fatigue.

Other than that, we've got a lot going on at church, gearing up for a super exciting VBS soon, and a lot of other fun stuff we're working on in children's church.  If you haven't checked out the website for our ministry, you should do that.   www.godsquadcm.com  

Anyhow, so now that I've officially written a book, if you don't hear from me for a while, send me a  message on FB or email me and yell at me for not blogging, I really need to get better about it, especially with having a new life to chronicle as well as the other two growing so quickly.   And I promise to post as soon as I can when the babe is born, with pictures of course.