Summer Post #2

One of the biggest things that keep me from blogging regularly like I used to is dealing with all the photos!
I take pictures of EVERYTHING these days.

Every moment with little kids seems like something you'd want to remember in 50 years when they're grown and your just remembering....
Plus of course all those little people of yours are moving CONSTANTLY so you have to take a bajillion shots to get a good one (read: in focus and not a blurry mess)

To weed through all those test shots, edit a handful of good ones, and finally post them is a task.
Plus to delete even one of those bad pictures feels a little like deleting a memory, no matter how brief or bad the shot was.

Agh.
And of course I make more of than it needs to be.
No wonder I'm lucky to post once a month!
Ha!

Anyways, I did it.
I went through my bajillions of ordinary moments captured and here are a few for my books to remember when I'm 70.....

Let's kick this off right:

I think this look promotes fear rather than festivity.

Also note the doubled up glasses. 

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Lots of swimming at a local state park. 

It has one of those great zero entry pools that are fantastic for our young crew. 

This hair!!

He did actually get a BIG haircut a few days after this. 

His beautiful locks were just a bit too much though I love long hair on little boys.

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We were planning on going to a family reunion on the 4th of July.

It turned out to be a messy, rainy, gloomy day so we brought the kids to see Finding Dory. 

I thought it was "ehhh" but the girls liked it :)

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The rest of that week, Adam went with our student ministries to church camp in Ohio.
I was able to fly over and visit for a day in a small private plane flown by a man who goes to our church!

Needless to say, it was awesome!

The whole day just felt like an extravagant, sweet gift straight from God. 

Seriously. 

I felt like I was on an all day date....... with Him!

When Adam came home at the end of the week, he was well missed and well loved. 

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The following week, we had a birthday girl to celebrate!

We kept this little 2 year old's birthday very small with swimming, 

a family dinner, and a couple gifts the day of. 

The following Saturday we went to a splash pad with some friends and cousins. 

It was really fun.

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Adam's sister Allison was nearby staying with Adam's parents for the week so we made of point of spending the day with her. 

She bought the kids these great bubble guns!

So that occupied an afternoon. 

While the girls were happy playing, we went off on own.

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Last week was filled with day camp at our church. 

We had about 50 kids take part each day with breakfast + lunch, games, crafts, songs, a skit, and a short lesson taught by Adam. 

I got no pictures except the last day when we had water day and a big blow up slip in slide was set up. 

Our oldest getting her druthers and getting to be in charge of the hose. 

And you better believe we got in on that!

Actually I was the first one to "test the waters" before the kids got to it!

I think I know what I want for my upcoming birthday....

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The last big event of July was a young adult retreat. 

The group stayed the night on a nearby lake taking in a couple study sessions on a chapter in the Psalms. 

The second day of the retreat was spent out on the lake boating and tubing. 

I was able to make it out that day and brought Sweetums as my side kick. 

Miss Emily and Lauren out on their flamingos.

So that's it for now. 

Lots of fun, lots of sun, lots of gratitude. 

There's still a whole 'nother month of summer!

Birthday Baby

Our oldest baby had her third birthday this weekend. 

We celebrated on Saturday from dawn til dusk with sugar, family, and balloons.

Our big, little girl is growing so well!
She can be SOOOOO sassy but she serves it up with a spoonful of sugar and sloppy, wet kisses.
She wants to do so much herself and is quick to be a helper.
She loves running around the church, wearing dresses, riding her new tricycle, and trying to buckle her own seat belt.
Her Meemaw and Mamaw are a couple of her best friends.
She uses the potty all on her own.
Her favorite shoes are flip flops and boots.
She can't wait to go swimming with Uncle Anson, Aunt Rachel, and all the kids in June.
She's our snuggle bunny.

Our Sweetums is so loved and we pray that she will abide with Christ all the days of her life.

Birthday Baby

Two weeks after moving into our new home we had a birthday to celebrate.

Not just any birthday though!

Peanut was turning 1!

How does an entire year pass like that?!

Well we embraced reality and threw a party for our baby girl. 

All of Peanut's girl cousins commenting on her eating her cupcake. 

This was the first time our house got to be so full. 

It was great!

As of her birthday, Peanut was not quite walking yet. 

She is standing and taking shaky steps though. 

She eats all table food and had her last bottle of formula on July 1st. 

She loves taking baths and going swimming.....but only if someone is holding her the whole time. 

She despises her floaty.

She growls, says "uh-oh!" and mama.

Her bangs hang in her eyes.

Peanut likes kitties, doggies, and babies and squeal/screams when she sees any one of those three. 

She is sweet and sometimes gets her feelings hurt like if you tell her no.

She gives sloppy, open mouth kisses and likes to climb on your head if you lay horizontal.

She is a shimmery girl and we love her lots. 

Such a Happy Birthday

Friday was little Sweetums' 2nd birthday.
Oh that little girl.
I can't believe she's 2.

Thursday night we had a small group of our family over for dinner and cake. 

I didn't do any kind of theme. 

We're pretty low key in these parts so I had a family friend make a simple strawberry cake, hung some white crepe paper and multi color fabric garlands, and blew up some balloons.

I put some little party hats on some toy animals and put those animals on top of her little white cake. 

Voila. 

A 2 year old's birthday party :D

The next day (her actual birthday) some cousins and friends came over for a brunch-y playdate. 

Smoothies, bubbles, and new sunglasses rounded out phase two of this sweet little girl's birthday.

What can I say about this sweet, spunky, sparkley, cherished girl?

I have been thinking about it a lot. 

She came into our lives like a ray of sunshine over a cliff. 

We wanted her so bad. 

She opened up a whole new world to us.

From her first quick, whispered "hi,hi,hi", I wanted to be this child's mama for as long as I could.

My favorite things about her:

-Her friendliness. Everyone in the grocery store gets a "Hi!" from her. 

- her sweet, soft smell

- the way she says "Up!..... pees?" and also "o ma gosh"

- that she has always loved her sister

- her chubby thighs and tiny feet

- the big, pretty eyes her birth mother gave her

...........and sooooo many other tiny, huge things.  

The Lord knows what her/our future holds. 

But I will always cherish the little child who made me a mama. 

This is Your Birthday Song!

Hiking at Turkey Run

Today is my man's 28th birthday.

It would just be stupid for me to try to describe what he means to me and just how awesome and wonderful he is.  
If you know him, I think you probably know what I mean :)

He builds his life and home on the Word.
He rocks at being a husband, a lover, and provider.
He loves kids that aren't his own like they are his own.
He devotes himself to the work God has given him.
He loves his parents and his siblings.
His heart is for people who need the love of God.

I want to be him when I grow up.

Since we don't tend to like throwing big parties with tons of people, we end up giving each other whole birthday weeks with little fun surprises each day.
Nothing major just extra treats from the grocery store, angel food cake personally delivered to him at work, dinner out with parents, some $$ for a no guilt shopping stop, extra kisses, extra love.
Fun stuff.
Also I say happy birthday to him every time I talk to him.
He loves that one, let me tell ya.

Heading to dinner on our 5th anniversary

10 years ago at his last church camp as a student + friends (Travis and Matt)

It's Ma Birthday!!!!

Yup, I'm the big 2-4.
Though Adam actually left today for another camp, we celebrated together and with friends this past weekend.
Tonight I'll get to celebrate with my niece who's birthday was the 1st.

This past year has just been a really awesome year.
I graduated on my 23rd birthday, enjoyed my first school-free year since I was 4, felt God's lead to start fostering, saw my husband become ordained, got both our fostering license and little sweetums the same day, and saw a whole group of high school girls who we have heavily invested in graduate!

It has been a very rewarding year.
I'm excited to see what God's been working on in me for this year.

I am a very blessed and loved woman.
I hope He continues to work out the goodness He's poured into me out to those He puts in my path.
Does that make sense? :)
If I get to live another year, I hope that's what happens. :)

Birthday Man!!!

.

Adam's birthday is today!
He's turning 27.
It's also his dad's birthday.

We'll be spending the evening celebrating.
:)

Big Birthday Blog

I can't believe it!
I just realized today that I missed my blog's birthday.
It was officially 2 years old on September 21st.

I love having a blog.
It truly is just an interactive, fun place to record our life.
Not because we're anything special or live fabulously fabulous lives, but I enjoy looking back to see old posts and read the comments that my friends leave for me.

It's not a stressful place or a thing I can barely keep up with,
I post when I have something to say, something to share, or some to remember.
I doubt I'll ever earn any money from this space but if readers stumble onto it I hope they go away encouraged.

So happy belated birthday, blog.
I hope there are many many more.

A Shower and a Birthday

This past Saturday Ally's maid of honor and I threw an all day bridal shower for her.
I got to do all the fun stuff like decorating and organizing games while Kathleen knocked the food out of the park.

Part I: A traditional shower at our church with complete decor, games, party food, and house gifts

I just think she's super cute

Yay for gifts!

They have nothing so they need everything.

love her

The bride + the party throwers

Ally and Monique, her mamma

 Part II: Ally and close friends head to dinner at Moggers followed by cheese cake bites and a lingerie party at her house.

In addition to all that fun-ness, it was my birthday Sunday.
I am now 23.
:)

My parents bought us lunch and we just spent the day relaxing at home. 

I may have made myself my very own chocolate cake.

..... it was delicious.