Look who's 2!!

This post is only a couple weeks overdue.

It isn't like I haven't had the time.

I just.... I don't know....maybe don't want to think that 2 years have gone by.

 

Little Tiny 6 # Emma.

 

 Has brought so much unbelievable joy into our lives. I truly cannot imagine a life without her here.

Sure it would be quieter. I wouldn't be as tired. I could count on sleeping through the night. Or eating a meal uninterrupted. Or a hot meal for that matter. My house would be a whole lot cleaner as well.

But goodness. I have so enjoyed watching her grow. Watching her learn. Watching her love. Watching her giggle.

She is always watching. Always learning. Always mimicking.

 

She loves her De-De. She loves to get into her stuff. To try and put on her de-dup.

 

She loves her bath.

LOVES her bath.

She loves her Daddy. She doesn't like to think that she is being left out of anything!

She loves her Bewwa.

 

She loves to help with whatever we are doing.

 

The thing she might love most is her babies. She has more babies then I can count. And she loves each and every one of them.

1 night we were with our small group and we wearing cleaning up getting ready to leave. Emma had been playing most of the night in the toy room with the babies and the little kitchen set that was there. She had been rocking this little bitty baby. She had the baby wrapped in a blanket and all. As we were getting to walk out the door, we went to put the doll down. Emma about died. She couldn't fathom that she had to leave that little doll. My friend couldn't bare to see Emma crying like that and told Emma she could take the baby home. Emma has been playing with the baby ever since.

Her cousin E-I (Eli)  is one of her favorite people. When they see each other they are inseparable. Recently Mike and Joanna came over for dinner. Eli and Emma were playing in Emma's room. Next thing we heard was a little boy screaming. Eli had gotten himself stuck in the laundry shoot. (thankfully he wasn't hurt and we were able to get him out! ) But a week or 2 after that, Emma pointed to the laundry shoot and started talking about her E-I.

She also loves her Jonas. We facetime Melanie and Jonas. I love that the kids can see each other and then they talk about each other for days after. :)

I love to watch Na-Na and Emma play together. Nathan loves his baby sister and already enjoys to torment her. It reminds me very much of an older generation....of my brother Jonathan and baby sister Joy!

 

She was the flower girl at her uncle's wedding. I snapped this picture. I am so glad I got it!!

 

 

 This might be one of my favorite pictures of Emma. I had been taking pictures of Maddie and Nathan on there 1st day of school and she had to get her picture taken as well.

 

 

1 thing I have seen in Emma is that she has a very compassionate. If someone is crying or sad she will go up to them and say....its ohtay....its ohtay...and give them a kiss. I love that about her.

Her new thing is she kinda tilts her head and says....mom....mom....mom....mom...and when you look at her....she just says...hi. And then gives you a great big smile.

Her favorite past times are: looking out the window at the big trucks, watching Elmo or Mickey Mouse, and playing babies.

Her favorite place to go: Papa's. She lights up at the mere mention of his name. She also loves to go to church and play with her friends.

 

Some of her favorite food would be: tacos, pizza, spaghetti, eggs, apples, oranges, pineapple and cinnamon rolls.

 

She loves sweet tea and ice cream.

 

Happy 2nd Birthday my little sunshine. You are a true answer to prayer.

 

My prayer for you today is that you seek after God your whole life, that you let Him use you however He wishes.

Happy Winter to you! We have had some snow lately. Dada has gotten into liking to shovel. If Daddy isn't here, the kids try to get outside before he gets home and "surprise" him with having the snow all shoveled. Brother particularly likes to do this.


It's Saturday. YAH!! I think this has been the longest 4 day week of school EVER!! It was bitterly cold yesterday. Every school canceled school yesterday except about 4. Ours included. I think everyone but me was in a foul mood. Anyway, glad it's over. The highlight of my day was my date with my Hubby. I have been looking forward to it all week. Time carved out for just him and I. We went to dinner and then browsed around our favorite stores.....Lowe's and Target!! :) (Sarah....I bought the green hat and mittens!! They were on clearance!! And they are lovely!!) It was nice to sit and talk or walk around hand in hand.

I have had a lovely time reconnecting with my Hubby. His schedule has changed ( we think for good) and now he is back on days!! I am so happy! I have enjoyed him so much this week. I think that the kids are just as happy.

Today's to do list......
clean bathrooms
vacuum
mop
dust
LAUNDRY ( I was caught up on it.....)
possibly make Kelsey Swanks famous cheesecake (which includes a trip to the store)
change sheets
take down the rest of the Christmas decorations (maybe) it's still winter, I can still have my snowmen up.

I already have laundry humming and the dishwasher going. (which I forgot until just now I can't do b/c the electrical in our old house can't handle both of them at the same time...oops!)

Hunny has to work today, so it's a good day to get all this accomplished. I personally like cleaning the house when He isn't here. I think I get more done.

But for now, I am enjoying my hot cup of coffee and doing something else that's on my to do list for today, something I have neglected....my blog. I love blogging!!

Today, Dada's goal is to go to the store and buy more beads. Dada and a couple girls at school want to make necklaces and bracelets to sell to help the homeless and children in the hospital. I don't exactly know how to encourage this. I don't want to squash her sense of wanting to help.....

Brother stayed the night last night with the neighbor kids. So it is pretty quiet in our house this morning!!

We celebrated Daddy's bday this past week. I love baking. I honestly do. I used to bake and bake and bake. I don't do nearly as much anymore b/c of Dada. So I was looking forward to making Daddy's cake. I think the kids have a radar for when I am going to bake. :) I can be in the kitchen all morning cooking, doing dishes etc, but as soon as I pull out the flour and sugar, the seem to just know that I am making something yummy. And in they come with their stools. Dada begged me to let her make her Daddy's cake. So I did. She took such pride in baking that cake for her Daddy.

(Do you like Brother's hair? That's another thing we did this week! Get him a hair cut!)


She refused any help from Brother but I did let him help decorate the cake. He picked out the sprinkles. :)

Can you tell they are Easter sprinkles??



I saw this note on the table after the kids went to bed.



I giggled. I thought it was funny.

Look what Daddy brought us home 1 day this week!

He brought us home our favorite candy. We had talked about a while ago about how they would taste in a cookie. So I tried making choc chip cookies but instead of using choc chips using the Reese's pieces. I don't recommend it. They weren't to good. :)


But Daddy said they were and ate them.

It's snowing a bit today. The snow looks like sparkly glitter falling to the ground. It is beautiful.

I was able to buy a new Bible study which I am kinda pumped about. It's by Beth Moore and its about the Life of Paul. It doesn't take long unlike some of her other ones and I think I am really going to enjoy it.

The past couple weeks I have been encouraged by the Lord. He has shown me verses early in the morning in the quiet time of my day and then later I can see how those simple verses have come to life in my daily living.

About a week ago Christ impressed upon my heart this verse.....

Prov 11:13~ A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

That week 2 different people told me "secrets." 1 was a hurt that they were facing and 1 was....well....something ;) But I have gone back to that verse many times this past week. I even copied the verse down and posted it up by my desk in my office at work. I think that its a great reminder for every day. I was talking to Beth the other day and she mentioned that where I work, especially in the kitchen is a place given to secrets or gossip. And I have thought of that before. So many people come in and share frustrations or just life at the moment. It has been good for me to be reminded of verses on the tongue. A couple other verses that I have enjoyed are

Prov. 18:1-2~ Through desire a man, having seperated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

I have read these verses for years many times over, but I never really understood what they meant until I looked them up in the NIV the other day. It was a W.O.W moment for me.

Prov. 18:1-2 (niv) ~ An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgement starts quarrels. Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

UM....O.U.C.H.

Have you ever said things KNOWING that what you are about to say is GOING to start a fight with someone or KNOWING that you will offend them, but that's what you feel or that is Y.O.U.R. oPiNiOn about whatever.

I have. I am honestly trying to watch my tongue.

Another verse I have posted by my desk is.....

Psalm 141:3~ Set a watch O Lord before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

This verse sums it all up for me. This verse is the prayer of my soul. I want the words that come out of my mouth to be the words of Christ. I want truly desire Christ to be seen in and through me. That doesn't mean I am perfect. Cuz holy cow, I'm not. But it's my desire. And to me, that's the start of change.

Brother's Bday parties

This past weekend was Brother's 8th bday party. 8 years, I still can't believe it.....

I don't think Brother could contain himself with the excitement of his party. (Me....oh, trust me, I could contain myself!!! )

Brother requested pizza for dinner.....how easy could that be?!?

So pizza it was.....



Daddy had to work Friday night, but was able to sneak away during his dinner break to spend some time with us.



He met us at the park where the boys were playing football.




What better way to get some energy out then running around for 45 minutes!!

After the park, we came home and while I was getting the cake ready, the boys decided they need to have a fashion show!

And what accessory is most important at a fashion show.....why a gun of course!!


Finally it was cake and ice cream time!!




And then time to open presents......

He was quite excited to open his very own firecrackers. Which I promptly put up for when Daddy was home and able to do them!! Can you tell how happy he was?!?!



The boys thankfully went to bed easy for me...well after 3 of them decided they needed to go home at 11:30 b/c they missed their moms.

Saturday came and we had to get ready for the family party. I was starting to make Brother's cakes when Dada walked in and literally BEGGED me to let her do it.

So I let her. And I must say that she did a FANTASTIC job!!



Brother was very excited to open his presents at the party later that night and get the 1 thing he has been dreaming about!!!!

Maybe Hunny and I can get out tv back now!! :)



Happy Birthday Brother.....I hope you had a great time at your party. Love yah lots!!!

Our family hasn't had a baby in a couple years (at least on this side of the country!!) and it was very exciting to learn that Hunny's cousin Lindsie had her baby early this morning.




The Bakers got this shirt for Aaron. I think it suits him just fine!!






Dada and I went to the hospital this afternoon and met little Brooklynn.

She definitely looks like Hunny's side of the family. I think personally she looks like little Eli when he was a baby.



Grandpa Kelvin couldn't have been prouder. He got emotional in church this morning as he was telling the congregation about his newest grandchild. You could tell he was so very proud. I absolutely LoVe this picture of them together.



I think little Brooklynn picked a very fine day to be born!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy BrOoKlYnN!!

Happy 9th Birthday!!

Dada's bday party finally arrived! And celebrate we did! I am actually sitting here right now enjoying the quiet! Something I haven't gotten a whole lot of in the past 24 hours!!

Aaron and Lorrie were kind enough to let us ship Brother off to their house during the slumber party. He kept asking me where he was going. I think he did NOT want to be around with a bunch of girls, so I am thankful that he was able to spend some time with Gus.



We had 5 girls stay with us. 6 rowdy, hyper, happy girls.



While they were running around....I mean playing, the movie Ice Princess was on. Needless to say by the end of the day they were doing triple sow cows and double lutzes.



They were very hard to get to actual sleep.



Even though I was exhausted, I really tried to enjoy there giggling and "whispers."

But by 1 I was ready for bed! ;) Thankfully Hunny just had to tell them once to settle down, and I didn't hear much else from them!!





Morning came and some of the girls BEGGED me for coffee!! I couldn't believe it. But I let them. Sorry Moms!! :)



Daddy entertained the girls during lunch. Kids are so drawn to him!!



Then we went swimming! The part they were most looking forward to!!

I love this picture of DADA.



The girls found another frog.



I like the girls faces in this next picture as the frog was trying to jump out of the bucket!!



I think I have bragging rights.....Kayla told me I was her favorite Aunt, and I didn't have to bribe her with cake like I have to with Eli!! ;)



My 9 year old!! I can't believe it.....



With all the heat and humidity, the icing I made just didn't turn out tonight. But Dada didn't notice. She thought maybe it was just the candle that melted the icing. She told me she better blow the candle out quick since the icing was melting!! :)

This is also her favorite cake these days. She really likes strawberries sliced and put in the icing. It is actually really good. This is the cake that was gone tonight!



Present time!!!



Safe and secure in the arms of Grandma's!!






Tonight was a very different bday party for me. Hunny was called into work and wasn't able to be at the party. He was really missed. But I am thankful for his job and the ability to work.

I have to brag on Hunny.....while I was taking the girls swimming and when he was supposed to be resting, he picked up the house from the slumber party. He took such a load off of my shoulders and made my evening so much smoother! He is so good to me!!

I hope Dada had a great bday. She is so special to us and we couldn't be more proud of her.