Saturday, July 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Happy Birthday Ava Joy
Happy birthday to our sweet baby girl! She has brought so much joy and personality into our family these past 2 years. Can't even imagine life without her sweet smile, cute little voice, high pitched scream, and her love for snuggles! We thank God for her everyday, what a blessing she is to our family. We love you Ava Joy
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Let the fun begin.....
The other night Dustin and I go upstairs to read and tuck the boys in where Tyler, clearly delighted, says that he has made a challenge for Dylan. I of course am ready to pounce in case there is something dangerous involved, ie jumping off the top bunk or out the window!! Dustin calmly asked what the challenge is...."If Dylan wears a diaper all night long, I will pay him a dollar!!" I look at Dylan who is wearing a diaper that Ty put on him (he hasn't worn a diaper in a very very long time)....he isn't sure if he likes this deal or not. He decides that he must have his dollar now or he will not participate! Tyler of course is not going to pay up until the morning and Dylan has fulfilled the requirement. Well.....Dylan decides after 30 mins of trying to sleep that a dollar just isn't worth it!
I couldn't believe that "challenges" were going to start this early. I decided that boys do strange things and I was going to embrace it as long as things stayed "safe". I was pretty proud of myself for getting to that place. Well of course a few nights later, I was once again amazed by the next round of "boy". Practical jokes!! Bryce pulled back his blanket to get into bed when he jumps up saying his bed was soaked! Ty is laughing so hard and says, "I got you!" He had poured a whole cup of water on Bryce's bed and pulled up the blanket! Oh. My. Goodness. I seriously am NOT ready for this!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
32 pairs
of all the crazy things my boys come up with, this may be one of my favorites! As Dustin was about to walk out the door for work, the boys were telling him goodbye. Yet Dylan kept yelling that he couldn't come down the stairs to say goodbye and that Daddy needed to come up stairs. I must say, I have never seen anything like it! The boys were howling with excitement....Dylan was "running" around with "a bottom fatter than his head", says Tyler. The goal was to get every pair of underwear on him to make his bottom fatter than his head! 32 pairs!!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
"Is it ready yet?"
My little music man
Ty has always had a love of music since he was just a baby. He has asked his Daddy to teach him how to play guitar since he could talk. Finally, a month ago, Dustin started to teach Ty some chords. Ty picked it up so quickly! He learned to play four chords in just 45 minutes. In a month, he has learned how to play two worship songs; Sing Sing Sing and The Splendor of a King. Here he plays the Splendor of a King from memory. (He was a bit bummed he messed up). He has also written many worship songs of his own. He LOVES it and we are in awe of his ability, but also his joy and desire to worship the Lord through music. It brings tears to my eyes every single time I hear him sing.
Monday, April 20, 2009
a few more.....
At Eagles soccer camp in the summer, they play a game like "red light, green light", but add other colors. So at camp when a coach yells out "green light" everyone dribbles their ball. When he yells out "black light" it means dance party. So imagine how cute and excited they are when they hear "black light." On the way to church Sunday, we are sitting at a red light, when Bryce yells out, "Mom, look, a BLACK light!!" I of course have no idea where this was going and pretend to see what he is talking about. I ask him what a black traffic light could mean. "It means you have to dance your car all over the road!" Oh he was so serious and excited!
Two sweet stories that happened months apart, yet both are so precious and show me the sweetest side of my big boys and their love for their siblings.
One day I took all the kiddos to the woods for a hike. Each boy was responsible to get their own shoes and socks on. They did a great job, however, Dylan chose not to wear socks. So we were only 15 minutes in when Dylan started crying over a blister on his heal. I told the older two we would have to head back out. They were pretty upset about the hike being cut short. Sweet Tyler said to Dylan, "here Dylan, you can have my socks and then your blister won't hurt and we can keep hiking."
Yesterday the boys were outside digging for snakes aka worms (thankfully!) They had come in to clean up and have a snack. Dylan had run back out without his shoes on and Bryce noticed them on the floor. He went to take them out to Dylan and then suddenly stopped and headed to the stairs. Curious, I asked what he was doing. "Well Dylan can't wear his shoes without socks on or he will get blisters." So he ran up, got him socks, and I heard him yelling out to Dylan, "Hey Dylan I have your shoes you forgot and I brought you socks so you don't get a blister."
Friday, April 17, 2009
a few of my favorites.......
Dylan:"Nice eggs!"
Bryce:"Nice eggs!"
Tyler:"yeah, nice legs Mommy!!"
While Ty is playing on the I-Phone, but supposed to be getting shoes on:
Bryce:" I just did the nicest thing for Tyler!"
Mommy and Daddy:" What did you do?"
Bryce:"I put his shoes on!"
Daddy:"Wow, that was nice!"
Bryce:"He said he would pay me $5000.00!!"
Out on an afternoon stroll:
Bryce climbs a huge rock, throws his arms out to the sky and yells, "I'm the King of the Jews!"
Getting close to a busy street I tell Dylan to stop running and stay close to me; He instantly drops to his knees and starts crawling!
I usually grab Starbucks when we go to Target, so we walk in and Bryce asks for a smoothie. I tell him not today:
and he says, "but don't you want coffee?"
Me:" well I do, but I gave up coffee for Lent."
Bryce:"Oh like we gave up TV? Is it really hard?
Me: It is really hard, especially today!"
Bryce:"But not as hard as Jesus dying on the cross, right Mommy?!"
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter
I can't even begin to describe the incredible joy I experienced this Easter. It was as if I was "getting it" for the first time in my journey with Christ. I was so overwhelmed with the ultimate gift of redemption. Jesus died for ME! For ME! A sinner by nature, not worthy of God's love, yet He chose to send His son to DIE FOR ME! WOW, yes I guess I am a slow learner. I was in tears all morning at church in awe of His great love. There was no way this day could get any better! But that afternoon God once again gave me a sweet glimpse of Heaven. As we gathered around to share a meal to celebrate the Resurrected King with our family, friends, and neighbors; I was moved by the love and joy in all the faces around me. I could sense the Presence of God moving over each heart as we laughed and enjoyed each others company. While walking around taking pictures I was struck by the many cultures that were represented, and this verse came to mind: "....from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne......and they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne....Rev 7:9-10 This is one of the most memorable and most powerful Easters for me as we celebrated the greatest love story ever.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Favorite "Ava ism"
Thursday, March 05, 2009
I'm Back!!
**Applause please!**
Well not much has happened in the past month, nothing out of the ordinary that is. Dustin and I got a chance to get away to Hilton Head for a few days, that was heavenly! Dustin is loving his new job and it keeps him busy! The boys just started soccer season last week! We are excited to be back in the think of things as Dustin starts his season as well. All this means SPRING is right around the corner! I can't believe we had TWO days of snow this year, the kids love it, but I must be honest and say, BOOOOO for snow. I am not a big fan of the cold!
We are still involved with the Montagnard family and have seen the trust in our friendship grow over the last few months! The whole family came over last weekend to hang it. It was fun to hear their story and why they are here. Dustin enjoyed meeting Bien's husband Vang. He is a sweet, gentle man that enjoys playing the guitar! He has not been able to play since they left Vietnam 3 years ago. The kids had fun playing with their 4 kids as well. I am thankful the Lord has brought them into our life. Oh -side note- They are moving into a Habitat house in April! While it is very exciting to have their own place, they are in need of furniture. If you have a few things you are willing to part with, let me know!
Life with four kids is BUSY! We generally do not have a quiet moment in the house unless, they are sleeping or gone! The other day, however, I was folding laundry and noticed that the house was very quiet. A little too quiet. I look in the sun room to find Ava sitting quietly alone, playing in her kitchen and having a tea party. Dylan was in the other room playing legos, Ty reading a book, and Bryce coloring. I have no idea how long I stood there marveling at the quiet! I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!!!! I WILL have moments when there will be peace! Ok....so that was just one moment, but hey will take it!!
The boys are all over the place......they love love to battle daily and make anything into a gun, sword, or light saber. The ceiling sounds like it is going to cave in most days from the running and jumping. I am amazing at how funny a burp or fart is every single day! The word poop or bottom will have them rolling on the floor forever! Seriously, boys are so much fun, they can entertain for hours!
Miss Ava is getting so big! She is talking up a storm and loves her big brothers! She is turning into a little girl before my eyes! She loves to play in her kitchen, help me clean, and loves to hold and animal or baby that comes her way. She often says, "oh cute" or "pretty" when she sees a necklace or a baby or animal. It is so funny to me!
Dustin and I are doing P90X, a workout series we saw on an infomercial! It is GREAT! Ok, it is tough, but we get to do it together most days and it has so fun to be together! The boys and Ava have joined us in some leg and ab workouts, so precious! Overall, life is good! We have been extremely blessed with each other, our children, a tremendous community of believers, and wonderful friends!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Recap on Africa
Gulu Uganda, a place ravaged by a civil war for almost 20 years. We spent 3 1/2 days here. We served alongside Aloysius Kyazze and the Sports Outreach staff at several ministry sites. The first day we helped serve at the Kirombe Center in center of town Gulu. We helped paint a school and build a fence while children came all around from the surrounding villages. We shared in song, dance, prayer and smiles together with the Ugandans for the day. The next two days were spent at the Koro Farm and the Good News Center. A place the Eagles went 2 years ago to break ground on this 32 acre haven in Gulu. Since then, the staff have built a church/school building, a brick making house, guest houses, a piggery, barns, cattle farm, goat farm, two well, and a cooking center. It is a place of life, teaching, Christ and Hope. Our days there were spent at church worshipping, making bricks (658 of them), an night prayer and worship meeting, having meals, sharing in dance and being alongside our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The evening were spent playing soccer matches against local teams and sharing the Gospel with the group after. In these two days we saw 50 people come to know the Lord. We worked hard, played hard, prayed hard and enjoyed serving together.
The net day we went further out into the bush to a village called Lugutu. This is a place Sports Outreach is expanding into. We took our brick making machine and spent the day making bricks for the school they are on the process of building, We carried water from the well, cut grass, visited homes, prayed for them and again ended the day with a soccer match and Gospel presentations. It was a long, hot, tiring day, but God gave the strength to press through and make His name known Lugutu in words and actions.
From there we went to nairobi. We spent a day in the Mukuru slum, where 500,000 people live in about a square mile. I don't have any other way to explain this place except for calling it Hell on earth. And in this place, the Sports Outreach staff lead by Franklin run a school and feeding program with about 300 kids in it, do a weekly HIV program with 70 HIV positive mom's involved, help a micro finance program called Project Lydia and run soccer based outreach programs for kids. It is one of the hardest places to comprehend and digest, but praise the Lord that Sports Outreach and the staff work so faithfully in this place.
We ended our time with a safari. One of the most beautiful displays of God's creation. We enjoyed a day together seeing His creation and enjoying a day of rest before our return home.
Those are the brief details of what we did. But it does not tell the story. The story is best understood by coming and seeing. I hope and pray that one day you can go with me so you too will understand the full story. Until that day, just know that 27 men came back changed by what we saw, heard, smelled and took in. I pray that it makes us stronger warriors for our One True King, better husbands, better fathers, better friends and workers,
Thanks for praying, and following the trip with us, God did great things in our lives.
YT
Saturday, January 24, 2009
We got snow!
We had a very exciting Tuesday! The boys woke up at 6:15 and started yelling "Mommy wake up, it really snowed!" Wow, it was early and they were excited! We waited for Ava to wake up and then ventured outside. We were in and out until 2:30 that day! The kiddos loved it for short spells. My "southern" babies just couldn't handle the cold like a "northerner" can!