The Museum

Here are a few pics from the museum we visited with Adam and Laura (and kids) and William and Angie (and kids)

Babywearing Friends

While Adam and Laura were in town we had the chance to go to the local museum to let the kids play.

I love seeing all my friends wear their babies, just as much as I love wearing my own.

There are no "actual" pictures of me and Elijah, because well, I had the camera haha

Super Monkey Cowboy

These pictures are actually from Christmas Eve. But since I haven't really blogged much about Christmas I thought I should share them.

He's wearing his Super Monkey Pj's and His cowboy set he got from Grandma and Grandpa

A new blog design?

Check out Jamie's awesome blog designs. She did my current one and now she's giving a design away for January!

New Year- Same Passion

I feel like I don't always take enough time to actually write on my blog. I share pictures for friends and family that want to see, I share stories about the kids and what they're up to, but I feel like I often neglect to write about what God lays on my heart. And I shouldn't. I've really been praying about where God is leading me, and leading us as a family and I want to write it all down here so I can remember what I've been praying for and what God has been showing me. So here are a few of the things I feel led to achieve in 2010

• First and foremost to continue to grow closer to Christ. To spend time in prayer and fasting and reading His word.
• To develop new ways to teach our children the ways of the Lord. To show them His heart through everything I do. 
• To make a conscious effort to put my marriage first above all else. 
• To speak love and kindness from my mouth with EVERY word I speak.
• To be more organized in my own life and in our home. 
• To make it a priority to read the Word to our kids. While we often read to them, it's not always PRIORITY. and it should be. 
• .To not only read the Word with the kids but to discuss it and help them to begin to understand what it says.
• To take care of my body and those of my family. To cook healthy meals, and have healthy snacks available. To work out on my own and to encourage the kids to be active as well. 
• To do outreach as a family on our own outside of the church walls. 
• To pray and seek God's will for our direction.

I'm hopeful that by this time next year, I can look back on this and say, hey you know I have seen God help me achieve each and every one of these through His help.

One thing I've learned is, that it is a process though. I cannot resolve to do these things as a HUGE yearly goal, but these must be daily goals for me and my family. Every day to strive to bring glory to His name and to do His will.

Lord, help us to know You more. Help us to seek Your face and Your will for our lives. Lord, teach me to be a Godly wife, mother, and friend and to be more like You. Help me to speak kind words out of love whenever I speak, and help me to look to You in times where I feel I cannot. Help me to hide Your word in my heart, Lord, and to teach it to my children daily. May Your praises be on our lips continually.

Amen.

My friends' kids...

I have amazing friends.

And they have amazing kids.

This week we all got together for a little fun.

So I took some pics of the kids and thought I'd share a few here.

Minus the one of Isaac sleeping, which was at church Sunday morning.

Paw Paw came to visit.

Paw Paw came to visit us yesterday.

I was watching Parker and he came to hang out before he took Parker with him.

Christmas 2009

My angel in her Christmas Dress

a new Kyley story

Earlier in the day I had been talking about watching the ball drop tonight.

So on our way home tonight, Kyley was so kindly reminding us that we told her she could stay up as late as she wants tonight, and that we were going to watch the ball game we talked about.

We were like HUH?

*duh*  THE BALL DROP

So we were trying to explain to her what the ball drop was.

So we talked about where New York City was.

Then we talked about Time Square.
Then I explained the ball and the countdown to the new year.

Kyley was listening well, but not saying anything.

So when I'm done, she so seriously says.

"Oh, so what's the fun part?"

10 things I love... 10 bloggers I love.

My sweet friend Courtney blessed me with this cute blog award.

The rules say that I should name 10 things I love, and then link the award to 10 bloggers I love.

This should be fun.

1. Jesus-  this one should be self explanatory.

2. My husband: He is the most important person in my life and I couldn't imagine life without him. He makes me who I am in so many ways.

3. My sweet babies.  I'll spare you any pics here because well, I have plenty on other posts to come soon.

4. The many awesome people in my life. Whether it be family, friends, bloggy friends, bloom friends, whatever. I am surrounded by amazing people who not only lift me up but hold me accountable to the Word.

5. My ministry. God amazes me EVERY SINGLE DAY at the things he teaches me through it.

6. Worship Music. To me there is nothing more calming and peaceful and right in the world than singing my heart out to my God, who is my Rock and my Salvation.

7. Right now I'm loving these antibiotics haha I HATE being sick and this pneumonia has kicked my tail.

8.  Zaxby's. A bad addiction that I can actually say hasn't been so much lately but I absolutely LOVE their boneless wings and their fries and oh the ice in the drinks... gosh...

9.  Cucumbers w/ Ranch  (ok so now I sound like a pig w/ all this food on here) Seriously, after working out, I just want to come home and have some cucumbers w/ ranch.

10. Photography.  I love the art of photography. I love the depth you can achieve with just one photograph and capture so many different stories all at once. Breath taking.. (still saving for that new camera...)

So.... on to my ten bloggy friends :)

In no particular order

Abigail

Laura

Derek

Reese

Samantha (maybe this will break her back into the bloggy world?)

Sheryl

Michelle

Jennifer

Samantha (MamaNotes)

Malerie

there are a few more I'd love to share with you who are amazing women of God, but unfortunately their blogs are private, however I love them still the same!

I've got that joy joy joy joy down in my heart, WHAT?

Madison Joy that is.

This kid is seriously too cute for words.

She is the daughter of one of my bestest friends, Laura

and incase those weren't cute enough... here are the b&w version

Look what I woke up to this morning!!!!

Can you handle it?

Ok I promise tonight or tomorrow-  back to posting as usual. But, Trust me, there will be a LOT of posts this week that I need to catch up on.

So far since Saturday we have:

Went to a christmas party
Went to lunch and buildabear for Kyley's bday with grandma
Childrens church meeting
Made kyley her dinner of choice
Church sunday morning
Kyley's party
Church christmas dinner sunday night
school monday morning
clean clean clean (getting ready for adam and laura to be here!)
feed kids
go workout
make cupcakes for dance today
sleep
teach preschool this am
come home make cupcakes for school pj day tomorrow
dance christmas party
home to make dinner

and then the rest of the week looks like this:

Go to the gym
sleep
Christmas PJ/Movie party at school
feed kids lunch
Elijah pedi appt
make dinner
church
CRY worship practice
sleep
school (last day before break)
clean clean clean and finish everything I need to get done before Laura and Adam get here
which includes getting the groceries we're going to need to cook dinner on sat night.
have dinner w/ my daddy for his bday because his bday is on friday and I'm busy on friday night
go to the gym
sleep
wake up friday and finish all the things I need to get done
make sure the powerpoint for CRY is done (hoping to get it done before Fri)
go to cry
come home and adam and laura get here!

Saturday spending the day with Adam and Laura PLUS  Kyley has a christmas party that morning to go to

Sunday they are leaving and we're headed to church

Thennnnnn things finally slow down just in time for christmas.

Seriously I'm TIRED people. I'll be glad when I get to relax hanging out with some awesome friends this weekend! <3

Anyhow, I say all that to say- watch for a LOT of posts in the next few days as soon as I find time to sit down and write them and upload pics!

Two are missing...

There are two people missing from this picture that belong there... can you guess who they are?

These are a few of my favorite things....

3 of them to be exact!

 

Cowgirls and Cowboys...

This past weekend we took the kids to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop.

Of course, Kyley was thrilled, and Elijah- not so much.

While we were there, the kids dressed up like cowgirls and cowboys!

How precious are they?

Hotslings!

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away a gorgeous Hotslings baby carrier!

To enter click HERE.