What a week

Here is the oldest and the youngest of the grand kiddos

I can't believe my girl is 10

I can't believe I finally have a little girl to hold again

I can't believe my sister is a mommy times two

 One proud aunt

 And then Bo...this was the sweetest thing ever...he was teaching baylen how to shave..and Baylen was eating it all up...HE ADORES HIS BROTHER SOOOO MUCH

 What a sweet picture I think it may be a look of relief that Eva is not his

 Oh how I love these four....they make me whole
Samanthas drama and kindness
Bo's intensity and go with the flowness
Baylens orderness and whine-a-bility
McRaes smile that melts you as he arches his back in a fit

 I can not stop smiling at the letter that we recieved today. It makes me giggle for so many reasons...

I love that the boys say

Dandaid instead of bandaid

I love that baylen says shuble instead of shovel

dandana instead of bandana

I love how Sam always wakes up stressed

Baylen wakes and says its up time

Bo gets up at 4:00am and is ready to goooooo

Have you ever believed the injustices of the world were too big for you to make a difference? I have felt that way. So instead of doing something, even something small, I did nothing."Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

The Bible reminds us that God has comforted us "so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:4b-5, NASB).

Your story and circumstances may be different, but we all need healing and comfort of some kind. Seek that comfort from God today. But don't stop there.

God doesn't comfort us to make us comfortable. He comforts us to make us comfort-ABLE ... able to help others.

Psalm 62:7, "My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." (NIV)

two bundled boys in some very cold weather...

 Enjoyed watching Samantha in the spelling bee...super super proud of her :)

 She got out on soggy   aka   soggie

Bo has been wanting to do animation. he took my camera today and over 200 pictures...I am not kidding..Here are three to show you how hard he worked. He would move his legos little by little...so sweet...so neat...that boy is so creative.

 Went to gym dogs meat with pepper...I love love my time with her...I love my time with all the kiddos...it is so neat how all of them are so different and at such different stages. I can joke with her...have a serious convo...and laugh....it is so fun....with Bo he is so huggy and so snuggly and so senstive and innocent...Baylen wants to play games and watch kiddy shows...and crae wants to be fed a bottle and rocked...who could ask for more

 One of Samanthas classic faces

 Wanted to show some of the funny pages from my calandar...I love it...here are the first couple weeks that I was able to open up too...hilarioius!

Messages I learned in church a few weeks ago...need to tattoo them to my head...

Compliment three people a day

Stop blaming others

For 24 hours don't criticize anyone

Spend less time worrying about who is right and decide what is right

I love how bo can not say his T's

Firsday (Thursday)

Free (three)

Firsty (thirsty)

McRae is really walking and the kids will yell HE IS WALKING they are so proud of him... :)

Devotion today... Expectations of others can cause bumps in my relationships. Often when I hit one of those bumps, I choose to wait. Wait for the phone call, text or email saying "I'm sorry" before moving on.  Because God freely and unconditionally pours love on me, I can freely give to others. I, too, can give up keeping score—with my family, my friends, even with the rude woman in customer service. Because I am forgiven, loved and embraced I can forgive, love and embrace.

Monday Memories in Motion

Look at this sweet little boy

He always wants to take something when we leave the house

Always

Today he chose a little doggy

He is also wearing my hat....

He said he needed to be "Waaaarm and Cozy"

Baylen says candy can instead of candy cane and I will be mad if anyone ever corrects it

 Who wouldn't love a baby in a basket.....

 A very happy boy....a gogurt....a chocolate milk juice box.....in jammies...under his blankie....with Piper....I think candy is the only thing that may make him happier

 A few nights ago I think they talked this over....Baylen came at midnight...stumbling in as if he did not know what he was doing...Bo was in at 2:00am scared of the storm and Samantha around 4:00 with a bad dream....I lost Kevin to the couch around 3:00 I think...and I finally surrendered when McRae started crying around 5:00.....
Would not want it any other way....

Baylen talk....
today Baylen said "Aunt Ginny has baby Eva in her belly"
I told him she sure does....
"She use to have Hut-son in her belly"
You are right
I got down on his level....
and asked who was in my belly....
"Sa-man-fa....then Crae then Me and Bo Bo"
Okay.....
"uncle Andrew was in Ginny's belly before Hut-son"
Oh really....
"Who's Belly were you in mommy"
Me Me's!
"Whos belly was Me ME in"
Pat Pats!
"Who's belly was Pad Pad in"
I could not stop laughing at how he said Pad Pad

As much as I love Baylen talk I love Samantha talk too...
I felt a huge connection today with her when we were having our pillow talk...
I told her we had to stick together because our house was being overtaken by BOYS!
I told her that boys don't get us...and that is okay....as long as we get eachother
I love that girl!

Bo tells me all day
Mommy I wish I could have a hug right now....
He is the BEST hugger

McRae you make me so happy
I won't know what to do when you are off my hip
You are my only one that crys for me....
and says mommma all day...well at that age...I hear Mommy all day from the others
As annoying as it sometimes gets to hear Mommy Mommy Mommy from different voices every second it seems....
Mommy can I have a snack....turn the light on....read to me....help me with this problem....turn the Wii on....open the door...tie my shoe.....turn the water on.....turn the water off.... yada yada yada
I will be so sad when I don't hear it.....

On sunday at church we rememembered our baptism...we went to the front of the church and touched to water to our head. Kevin had Baylen and he touched the water and kept patting his head. We went to the alter to pray. Baylen folded his sweet little pudgy hands and kept touching his wet forhead. He said in the sweetest quietest voice...God I am thankful for my family....tissues please....
Tonight after reading stories in bed Baylen asked if we were going to do that pray to God thing...I said yes,,,,he said Good...I like that....
He closed his eyes real tight and said I love you God...thank you for my family and I am sorry for doing bad....
So, to my devotion. I will admit. I felt a little defeated last night. My hubby gets a little short tempered by Sunday evenings....and I usually am the one that gets the short end of the stick. I had a bit too much of the rudeness so I may have given just a little silent treatment last night...even though our sermon that morning at church had been all about forgiveness....
then I stumbled upon this devotion this morning....

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 

When I pray, often resentment, anger, unforgiveness, or an ungodly attitude clouded my communication with God. While I may have had a good reason for these emotions, my prayers were not coming from a right heart. What's more, I was praying that my husband would conform to my ideal image of him. My prayer was for God to change him into the person I wanted him to be.

However, as I went to God in prayer every day, something unusual started to change—me. I was the one God decided to work on first, not my husband. Gently, the Lord began to soften my heart. Humble it. Mold it. And reconstruct it.

Change me, Lord.

And it wasn't just my relationship with my husband that required me to pray this powerful three-word prayer. My relationship with my son and daughter required it. My relationships with my friends required it. Most of all, my relationship with God required it.

But God's way is not always our way. God didn't choose to make those first changes in my husband. He chose to make them in me.

1 Corinthians 10:24, "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being." 

Psalm 139:23, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties..." 

So I remember my mom making fun faces for lunch...

so look what Baylen got today...have you ever seen a turkey face with macaroni and cheese for hair

He thought it was pretty cool

 So Samantha is the SWEETEST ever. Daddy told the kids to go make mommy a card for Christmas...
I love the cards I go from the boys...but Samantha out did herself....I can't imagine how long this took her. the picture does not do the 4d card justice. It was a four sided card with cut outs of a roaring fire...rug and Christmas tree....really awesome

 New Years Day...Bo spotted these cool batman items for "Crae Crae"

 What a cutie

 Baylen working hard at night wanting to copy Bo's work...he was trying so hard....Baylen is at such  a fun cute age....he is either making me want to pull my hair out or making me want to just hug and kiss him to death...there is never an in between.

 At storytime....its the best! Here is McRae tackling me after funny fat frog...super fun today!

 Not sure If I remembered to share some things the past few weeks....
I was about to open a gift from Nana when baylen asked if he could open it. I said sure. It was a bowl obviously for me. baylen thought it was for him. His eyes got huge and he said "I love it"! "It is just like yours, now I have one too" With such a sweet smile. The next day when I made him cereal and brought it in a bowl...he quickly asked for his bowl nana got him. What a sweet sweet boy....

I love it when I am sitting in the den and I hear "daddy" and Kevin gets up....he goes to the wrong room and I have to yell...its Bo not Sam or its Sam not Baylen...I love that we have one in each room

Kevin made the observation that we are going to need a new sofa when the kids are older and we want to all watch a movie. How are three grown boys and a teen age girl going to watch a movie on a couch and a love seat. I just hope they will all be here for us to want to watch a movie together :)

Baylen is obsessed with how his socks fit and feel on his toes. It is about a ten minute ordeal leaving the house. I love how I get up in the morning to find bo dancing
I love how Samantha still picks her nose with her lovie (she would kill me that I wrote that)
baylen can lie straight to your face looking you right in the eye
It is a true talent
Samantha could NEVER tell a lie
Bo tries to lie
but it is written ALL over his face so he is busted
He ends up telling on himself in a few seconds anyway.
I am concerned about that baylen
I love the faces that McRae makes
He has the biggest smile
It is a charlie Brown smile
He looks so innocent yet so guilty
I love it in the morning when Baylen comes to my bed and says "mommy it is up time"
That is precious
He also says "Hey mom do you want to Hang Out together in bo's room"

McRae you are my only child that throws himself back to pitch a fit
You have actually started to catch your fall now though

Kevin and I started a bible study together tonight...I am very excited
Many have done it already....
It is called A Purpose Driven Life....
I am looking forward in doing this together....

"It's not about me"
It all starts with God
Everything was started with God and therefore finds its purpose in Him Colossians 1:16
I must remind myself everyday that life is about living for God and not for myself.

"I am not an accident"
God does not play dice Isaiah 44:2
I was in God's care before I was even born, God uniquely created me and I should overcome my struggles with accepting aspects of my personality and appearance.